meat

This is a recipe that I adapted from Victor Sodsook’s True Thai, though the changes I made render the dish nearly unrecognizable to the original and much closer to something I ate in a Thai restaurant in Ypsilanti.

• 12 oz. dried rice stick noodles, ¼” wide, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes prior to frying

• Vegetable oil

• ¾ lb boneless skinless chicken breast sliced into very thin strips

• 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick

• 2 heads broccoli cut into ½ inch pieces

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 ½ c thawed sugar snap peas

• 1 small onion, halved and finely sliced

• 3 scallions, sliced into 1 inch pieces

• 1 c bean sprouts (optional)

• 6 oz. extra firm tofu (cubed, boiled and stir fried—optional)

• chopped peanuts, for serving

Sauce:

• 1 T soy sauce (good quality—I like Kikkomans)

• 2 T Fish sauce

• 2 T black bean paste

• 3 T brown sugar

• ½ t white pepper (add a little Thai pepper sauce if you prefer it spicier)

• ¼ c chicken stock

• 1 t cornstarch

Heat a wok, then add a few tablespoons of oil. Turn the wok to coat with oil. Stir fry the vegetables, adding them separately so they all finish at the same time (this takes some experimentation and you can always cook them separately to be safe)—I usually start with the onion, then add broccoli a few minutes later I add the zucchini and pepper, then towards the end add the sugar snap peas, scallions and bean sprouts. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl.

Add some oil to the wok. Drain the noodles and stir fry until tender. You may need to add a little soy sauce or water to keep them from getting sticky. Set aside.

Add more oil to the wok. Fry the chicken until cooked. Push the chicken to the outsides of the wok. Pour the sauce into the center of the wok and bring to bubbling. Stir until thickened. Add the noodles, tofu and vegetables to the wok. Toss until well mixed and heated through. Serve with chopped peanuts for a garnish. 

Serves 2-4