Penang Rice Noodles

Posted by swm56 at recipegoldmine.com 6/11/01 10:22:40 am

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an accompaniment.

8 ounces (225g) dried rice noodles (see below)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 green onions, cut diagonally into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
8 ounces Chinese greens such as bok
    choy (see below) cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
6 ounces (175 g) fresh Chinese yellowor green chives,
    or fresh chives, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (see below) or dry sherry
2 tablespoons light soy (see below)
2 tablespoons vegetarian
oyster-flavored sauce (see below) or dark soy sauce (see below)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces (175 g) bean sprouts
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of warm water for 2 minutes. Then drain them in a colander or sieve. Heat a wok or large skillet over a high heat until it is hot. Add the oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the onion, green onions, garlic, Chinese greens, and Chinese chives. Stir-fry for 4 minutes. Then add the noodles, rice wine or sherry, light soy sauce, oyster sauce or dark soy sauce, salt and pepper and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Finally, drizzle in the sesame oil and give the mixture a good stir.

Serve at once.

Dried Rice Noodles are opaque white and come in a variety of shapes. One of the most common examples is rice-stick noodles, which are flat and about the length of a chopstick. They can also vary in thickness. Light soy sauce is light in color, but it is full of flavor and is the better one to use for cooking. It is saltier than darksoy sauce and is known in Chinese grocers as Superior Soy. Vegetarian oyster-flavored sauce can be bought in Chinese grocers and supermarkets. Despite its name, it does not have a fishy taste. It is full of rich flavor and is used in cooking and as a condiment, diluted with a little oil, for vegetables, poultry and meats.