Method
Wild about the taste of Thailand
This dish of crisply fried rice noodles is one of the most
popular in the repertoire of Thai restaurants, and is delightful
when made correctly and served right away, while crisp and crunchy.
This is an entrée, served in small amounts.
When I learned how to make this dish in a cooking school in
Bangkok, there were numerous young Thai women also learning from
the teacher. She showed us how to quickly dip the rice
vermicelli in cold water, then let it dry for 30 minutes.
This prevents the noodles scattering when broken into clumps, but
you can bypass this step with safety if you put the pack of
vermicelli into a large plastic bag and break it into handfuls with
your hands inside the bag, otherwise your kitchen will need to be
swept after you have cooked this dish!
Heat the oil and when a light haze rises from the surface, test
the heat with a few strands of the noodles. They should puff
and swell right away to many times their size. If they don't,
wait until the oil is hot enough or the noodles will be tough
instead of crisp and light. Be ready with a perforated spoon
and a tray covered with many sheets of absorbent paper to scoop
them out as soon as they turn a pale gold. Drain them well,
and cool completely.
Pour the oil into a heatproof bowl, leaving only about 2
tablespoons in the wok. Add the minced pork or chicken and
fry, stirring constantly, until the colour changes. Add the
bean curd and toss until heated through. Add the vinegar,
sugar and fish sauce stirred together until the sugar has
dissolved. When the mixture boils add the beaten eggs and
keep on stirring until the egg is set and firm. Stir the
crabmeat through.
This recipe may be prepared ahead to this stage, but heat it
through before serving. Just before serving, combine the
crisp fried noodles with the hot mixture. Scatter the pickled
garlic, chilli and coriander leaves over to garnish and serve
immediately.