Recipe: Big Bowl Restaurant Thai Chicken Noodles with Garlic and Peanuts

THAI CHICKEN NOODLES WITH GARLIC AND PEANUTS

"The essence of Thai flavor is in this simple noodle dish. It's almost like a fragrant, flavorful warm noodle salad. In fact this can be cooled to room temperature and served as such."

6 ounces fresh or dried Chinese egg noodles
Peanut or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
6 ounces boneless chicken breast, julienned
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons julienned, seeded fresh red chiles or bell peppers
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup 1-inch scallion segments
2 tablespoons julienned ginger
6 garlic cloves, smashed
12 Thai basil leaves, julienned
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, lightly chopped (for garnish)

Bring a large amount of water to boiling and cook the Chinese noodles as you would any pasta, around 5 minutes or until done. Drain, run under cold water to stop the cooking, drain again, and toss with 1 teaspoon of the peanut oil. Set aside.

Mix the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, and set aside.

Mix the chicken with the salt, cornstarch, and sesame oil, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

In a wok or skillet, heat 1 cup peanut oil. When hot but not smoking, add the chicken shreds and cook, stirring to separate the shreds. Just when the chicken changes color, remove and drain in a colander. Reserve the oil.

Heat a clean wok or skillet. When very hot, add 4 tablespoons of the reserved oil. When hot, add the chiles, onion, and scallion and stir briefly over high heat to coat with the oil. Add the ginger and garlic, and continue to stir. Add the fish sauce mixture and, when it starts to a boil, add the noodles and toss until well heated. Stir in the basil and cilantro, and toss. Sprinkle in half the peanuts and immediately transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle the rest of the peanuts on top.

Serves 2 to 3 as part of a larger meal
Adapted from source: Big Bowl Noodles and Rice: Fresh Asian Cooking from the Renowned Restaurant by Bruce Cost with Chef Matt McMillin