Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

This is my rendition of a classic dish served at Plia’s Kitchen, a Hmong restaurant in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They serve wonderful South Asian cuisine. The widely-reputed silver bullet for curing a hangover, or just a late-night snack after an all-day bender, this mind-numbingly spicy recipe is a much-loved Chinese-inspired favorite in Thailand.

My wife cannot tolerate anything remotely hot, which is a real shame. To compensate, I improvised this recipe by adding only a seeded jalapeño pepper. For the authentic version, you should use fresh hot Thai red chilis, crushed in a mortar. Thai holy basil is impossible to find in my area – if you are lucky enough to source or grow some, by all means use it — it has an unmistakable peppery, complex flavor that is all but absent in Thai sweet or lemon basil.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large chicken breast 1 tbs. cornstarch 2 tbs. water 1 tsp. dark soy sauce 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

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4 tbs. canola oil, divided 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed in a mortar 1″ chunk of ginger, peeled and grated 4-5 fresh red Thai chilis, stemmed, cut in pieces and crushed in a mortar OR – one seeded, sliced jalapeño 1 tbs. Laoganma black bean chili sauce 1 medium shallot, peeled and minced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1” square sections 1.5 cups fresh Thai holy basil leaves 2 large scallions, trimmed and cut at a bias in 2” sections, with greens 4 oz. rice flake noodles (1/2 8 oz. bag), soaked for one hour and then boiled for two minutes

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1 tbs. Shaoxing wine 1 tbs. oyster sauce 1 tbs. fish sauce 1 tbs. dark soy sauce 2 tsp. Tamari soy sauce 1 tsp. Gold Plum® brand Chinkiang vinegar 1 tsp. dark brown sugar 1/2 cup chicken stock

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the chicken into small pieces (1/2” to 1”). In a medium-sized work bowl, combine the cornstarch, water, white pepper and dark soy sauce. Add the chicken and coat well. Set aside for one hour on your counter until it warms to room temperature.

Prepare the rice flake noodles by soaking them in warm water for one hour. Drain, then add to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Time them so they are ready to add to the wok after draining.

Prep the vegetables so you have them at hand. Combine the Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark and Tamari soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, brown sugar and chicken stock in a small bowl. Mix and set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat and add 2 tbs. canola oil, swirling to coat. The oil should start to smoke. Add the cut chicken pieces and stir with a long-handled Chinese metal spatula. Cook until seared on all sides, about three minutes. Quickly remove from the wok and set aside on a plate.

Add the remaining canola oil and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the wok. Add the crushed garlic, ginger and chilis or jalapeno, and the Laoganma black bean chili sauce.  Stir-fry until fragrant, about a minute. Add the minced shallot and continue to stir for another one to two minutes. Add the bell pepper. Stir to sear the vegetables, and then add the sauce ingredients and the reserved chicken. Stir to coat. Drain and add the boiled rice flake noodles, the fresh basil and scallion. Stir well to coat the noodles and serve immediately.

Serves 2-4.