Marion's Pad Siew

This recipe comes from Marion (of Masterchef Australia fame).  Her mother is Thai and she says it was the spaghetti bolognese of her childhood.  Kip tried the recipe first and it’s now become a firm favourite in our house.  It’s best to cook everything separately so you can control the texture of all the ingredients.  As with all work fried dishes you should have everything chopped and prepared before you start.  You are supposed to use the thicker rice noodles which look like fettuccine but it’s just as nice with the thin vermicelli rice noodles (which is what I usually have in the pantry!).

Marion’s Pad Siew (wok fried noodles with chilli vinegar)

Ingredients (serves 4)

300g chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced

3 tbsp fish sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp oyster sauce

200g rice noodles

3 tbsp peanut oil

250g chinese broccoli (gai lan) or broccolini, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tbsp kecap manis (or soy sauce)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp white sugar

1 egg

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves (to serve)

Chilli Vinegar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 long red chilli, finely sliced

Combine the chicken, a tbsp of the fish sauce, the sesame oil and oyster sauce in a bowl and mix to coat well.  Put in the fridge for 15 mins to marinate.

Soak the noodles in hot water for about 10 mins until they are rubbery and viable but still firm to touch.  Don’t let them soak for too long or they will get too soggy.  Drain well and pat dry with a tea towel.

Combine the vinegar and chilli in a small bowl and set aside until you are ready to serve.

Heat the wok over high heat and add a tbsp of the peanut oil and the broccolini.  Too for about a minute then put aside on a large plate.

Put the wok back on the heat and add a tbsp of peanut oil.  Add the noodles and toss to coat.  Add a tbsp of soy sauce and a tbsp of fish sauce and stir fry for about 3 mins until the noodles start to char around the edges.  Separating with tongs while they cook.  Add the noodles to the broccolini on the plate.

Put the wok back on the heat and add 1 tbsp of peanut oil.  Add the garlic, chicken and sugar and stir fry for about 3 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked.  Put the chicken on one side of the wok and crack the egg into the other side.  Let the egg set for a couple of minutes then break it up and toss through the chicken.  Add the broccolini and noodles and the rest of the fish sauce and soy sauce and a generous amount of black pepper.  Mix well with the tongs to combine.

Serve on a large plate or bowl, pour over a couple of spoonfuls of the chilli vinegar and serve with the remaining chilli vinegar on the side.