recipe roundup: mì xào dòn (crispy noodles)

I was going to post this recipe at a later date, but Ann’s hosting of Recipe Round Up forced my hand - so here it is (recipe at the end).

Many of you who have read my posts for a while now are not at all surprised to see photos of food ingredients, prep, and finished plates. I don’t really style the food except I try to be a less haphazard when I’m putting it on a plate that will be photographed. I can tell you that on my visit to France, all of my family and friends thought I was crazy to be pointing my camera at dishes and pots and pans.

As you’ll read later about my mom’s Vietnamese friend in a separate post, you’ll find that she’s a wonderful hostess and cook. On our last dinner at her home (just outside Paris), she wanted to make us some comfort food so she served mì xào dòn or crispy noodles.

She prepares the fresh noodles by separating them slightly and deep frying them in small batches. (for some reason, resizing photos in WordPress makes them look pixely; click on the images above to see a slightly larger and clearer image)

Meanwhile, carrots, broccoli, and onions are chopped.

A quick stir fry keeps their color and flavors bright.

Here, she’s got shrimp (shelled and deveined) and imitation crab stirfrying in a bit of butter. They had been marinating in oyster sauce and pepper.

All the components came together about the same time. The bright vegetables make for a pretty presentation of a lovely spring meal.

My mom’s friend cooks without measuring - she tastes as she goes, she knows the ingredient list from long practice, she estimates quantities by experience. So when she gives me a “recipe” she usually names just the main components. Anyway, here’s my approximate transcription for four servings:

1 package fresh thin egg noodles (about 14oz)
1-1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
1/2 to 3/4 lb broccoli florets and stems, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2 carrots, thickly julienned
3/4 to 1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 to 8 oz imitation crab
salt, pepper, sugar
2 tablespoon oyster sauce, divided
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 to 2 tablespoons white vinegar, to taste
light soy sauce, to taste (start with 2 tablespoons)
1 to 2 teaspoons corn starch

Marinate shrimp and imitation crab in 1 tablespoon of the oyster sauce and some pepper. Cut up your vegetables and set aside (broccoli stems are perfectly edible; just trim off the hard outer layer).

Rather than heating up all the oil at once, my mom’s friend advised adding it as you go to keep your oil clean. Start a cup of the oil in a sauce pan that’s about 8 inches in diameter and heat on medium as not to burn the noodles. Separate the coiled noodles so that they fry in a roundish shape. Drop the first handful into the oil and adjust the noodles while they’re still flexible. Fry in small batches until all the noodles are done (stiff and slightly golden), setting them on paper towels to drain.

Stir fry the carrots first (in a bit of oil) for a few minutes (3 or so) and then add broccoli and onions. Salt lightly and add a bit of water if they seem to be drying out.

Next, stir fry the shrimp and crab in a bit of butter or oil until shrimp is just opaque. Set aside while you prepare the sauce. In a small sauce pan, mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, ketchup, about 1-1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon vinegar (you can add more later if you prefer a tarter flavor), 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (to taste), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and corn starch (start with 1 teaspoon and see if that consistency is what you like). Heat on medium high while stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. If you want thicker sauce, mix some corn starch and water on the side before adding it to avoid clumping.

Serve plates by starting with the crispy noodles, add vegetables and shrimp/crab, then spoon the sauce over the top.

Of course, you can vary the recipe with different/more vegetables, substituting the shrimp with chicken or beef or tofu.

Bon appétit! And go see Ann for a list of international recipes!

(”around Paris” continues later this evening)

~ by nikkipolani on May 15, 2008.