Drunken Noodles

A family-friendly take on the classic Thai pad kee mao. Tender rice noodles, finely sliced chicken, crisp vegetables and Thai basil are tossed in a bold, rich sauce, finished with a game-changing drizzle of chilli oil vinegar.

Ingredients

Stir-fry sauce:

• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• ½ tbsp fish sauce (recommended, but can be left out)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water

Stir-fry:

• 200 g dried wide rice noodles
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken breast, finely sliced (5 mm thick)
• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp freshly grated garlic
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 bunch bok choy, shredded
• 4 spring onion stems, sliced into 3 cm batons
• 50 g Thai basil leaves, picked

To serve:

• Chilli oil vinegar (equal parts chilli oil and rice wine vinegar)
• Crushed roasted peanuts (optional)

Method

1. Mix together all the stir-fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Cook the rice noodles in boiling water until just pliable (about 3 minutes — do not follow packet instructions). Rinse with cold water and drain.
3. Heat sesame oil in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it just starts to change colour.
4. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add the carrot, bok choy, spring onion, partially cooked noodles and the stir-fry sauce. Toss using tongs until well combined. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir through the Thai basil leaves.
7. Divide among serving bowls. Top with chilli oil vinegar and crushed peanuts.

Tips

• The key to non-mushy noodles is to slightly undercook them — boil until just pliable, then rinse in cold water.
• Add ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes with the garlic for extra heat.
• Swap chicken for thinly sliced beef, pork, prawns or firm tofu.
• The stir-fry sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.