Yield: 4 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| \N \N | Asian rice noodles cut about 1/8 inch wide, OR- |
| 1 pounds | Flat rice noodles (fresh or dried) |
| ¾ cup | Fish sauce; -OR- Soy sauce |
| 4 teaspoons | Rice wine vinegar OR- distilled white vinegar |
| 2 tablespoons | Sugar |
| 4 teaspoons | High-quality paprika; -OR- Catsup or Tomato paste |
| ½ cup | Vegetable oil OR more if needed |
| 8 ounces | Boneless pork OR- boned & skinned chicken cut into very small pieces |
| 2 tablespoons | Minced or pressed garlic |
| 2 teaspoons | Ground dried red hot chili, OR- |
| 1 tablespoon | Minced fresh hot chile |
| 4 \N | Eggs; lightly beaten |
| 8 ounces | Medium-sized shrimp shelled and deveined, tails left intact |
| 10 ounces | Fresh bean sprouts |
| 3 \N | Green onions; thinly sliced |
| ½ cup | Chopped dry-roasted peanuts (unsalted) |
| ¼ cup | Chopped fresh cilantro |
| \N \N | Finely minced dried shrimp |
| \N \N | Fresh cilantro sprigs |
| \N \N | Lemon or lime wedges |
FOR GARNISH
In a bowl, cover the noodles in lukewarm water and let stand to soften, about 15 minutes for fresh noodles or about 30 minutes for dry noodles. Drain and cut into 6-inch lengths, if desired. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and paprika, catsup, or tomato paste. Set aside.
Heat a wok or saute pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the pork or chicken, garlic, and chili and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the drained noodles and the reserved fish sauce mixture and stir-fry about 30 seconds. Push the noodles to one side, pour in about a tablespoon more oil, if necessary, and add the eggs; cook just until slightly set, then break them up. Add the shrimp and stir-fry just until they turn pink. Add most of the bean sprouts, the green onion, and ¼ cup of the peanuts and stir-fry until the sprouts and onions are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving plate.
Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, remaining ¼ cup peanuts, and dried shrimp. Garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, and lemon or lime wedges, and serve immediately. Diners squeeze lemon or lime juice to taste.
Serves 8 as a pasta course, or 4 as a main course From: stigle@... (Sue Stigleman)