Featured
Recipe
Penang Rice Noodles
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE
OR 4 AS AN ACCOMPANIMENT
8 ounces (225g) dried rice noodles (see below)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 green onions, cut diagonally into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
8 ounces Chinese greens such as bok choy (see below) cut
into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
6 ounces (175 g) fresh Chinese yellow or green chives, or fresh
chives, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (see below) or dry sherry
2 tablespoons light soy (see below)
2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster-flavored sauce (see below)
or dark soy sauce (see below)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces (175 g) bean sprouts
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of warm water for 2 minutes.
Then drain them in a colander or sieve.
Heat a wok or large skillet over a high heat until it is hot.
Add the oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add
the onion, green onions, garlic, Chinese greens, and Chinese chives.
Stir-fry for 4 minutes. Then add the noodles, rice wine or sherry,
light soy sauce, oyster sauce or dark soy sauce, salt and pepper
and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the bean sprouts
and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Finally, drizzle in the sesame
oil and give the mixture a good stir. Serve at once.
Dried Rice Noodles are opaque white and come in a variety
of shapes. One of the most common examples is rice-stick noodles,
which are flat and about the length of a chopstick. They can
also vary in thickness.
Bok Choy is the most common of Chinese white cabbage and
has a long, smooth, milky white stem and large, crinkly, dark
green leaves. It is widely available in supermarkets. Look for
firm, crisp stalks and unblemished leaves.
Shaoxing Rice Wine is made from glutinous rice, yeast and
spring water. It is readily available in Chinese grocers and in
some supermarkets. Do not confuse this with sake, which is Japanese
version of rice wine.
Light Soy Sauce is light in color, but it is full
of flavor and is the better one to use for cooking. It is saltier
than dark soy sauce and is known in Chinese grocers as Superior
Soy.
Vegetarian Oyster-flavored Sauce can be bought in Chinese
grocers and supermarkets. Despite its name, it does not have
a fishy taste. It is full of rich flavor and is used in cooking
and as a condiment, diluted with a little oil, for vegetables,
poultry and meats.
Dark Soy Sauce is aged for much longer than light soy
sauce, hence its darker color. It is slightly thicker, stronger
and less salty than light soy and is preferable as a dipping sauce.
It is also known in Chinese grocers as Soy Superior Sauce.
Wine Recommendations by Wine.Com:
1999 Sokol Blosser White Riesling, Oregon
Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Dry Riesling
Cookbook available in August 2000.
Call 1-800-308-4286 for more information.
