Dish of Chicken with Rice Noodles
(click to enlarge)

Chicken with Rice Noodles


Thailand
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 main
***
45 min
Prep		 This recipe is in the style of street food, which means it can be mostly prepared in advance, finishes up very quickly and is served immediately. The given garnish is quite nice, but simpler garnishes can be used.

8
10
3
4
2
1/2
1/4
1-1/2
1
2
1/4
------
1/4
1/2
1
3
1
oz
oz
oz
oz
T
T
c
T
T
T
c
----
c
c

cl
T
Rice Vermicelli (1)
Chicken meat (2)
Shallots
Onion, red
Fish Sauce (3)
Chili Paste (4)
Stock or Water
Oil
Red Curry Paste (5)
Lime Juice
Cilantro
-- Garnish (opt)
Cilantro
Peanuts, Raw (6)
Chili, fresh (7)
Garlic
Oil
Prep   -   (30 min / 50 min with garnish)
  1. Put NOODLES in a heatproof bowl. Bring plenty of water to a boil and pour over the noodles. Let noodles soak for 20 minutes - if they soak longer it won't hurt them. Drain well, then lay out on your cutting board and make a few cuts through the pile to so the noodles are shorter and more manageable.
  2. Slice CHICKEN thin and cut into narrow strips.
  3. Chop SHALLOTS fairly fine.
  4. Slice ONION in half lengthwise, then thin crosswise.
  5. Mix Fish Sauce, Chili Paste and Stock (or water),
  6. Squeeze LIME JUICE.
  7. Chop CILANTRO medium for both noodles and garnish.
  8. Prepare Garnish (if used): Dry roast PEANUTS in a pan over moderate heat stirring until lightly browned all over (see Dry Roasted Peanuts). Chop CHILI fine. Crush GARLIC with the flat side of your prep knife, then cut crosswise coarse. Heat Oil and fry Chili and Garlic stirring until garlic starts to color, then stir in Peanuts until coated with oil. Keep warm or rewarm when needed.
Run   -   (15 min)
  1. In a wok or spacious sauté pan heat Oil and fry Curry Paste until well blended and aromatic, then stir in Shallots and fry stirring until soft but not at all browned.
  2. Stir in the Chicken and fry stirring until chicken has lost its raw color.
  3. Stir in Fish Sauce mix and and bring back to a boil. Simmer covered about 8 minutes until chicken is done.
  4. Stir in Noodles just long enough so they're hot and well distributed.
  5. Turn off heat. Sprinkle with Cilantro and Lime Juice and stir it in.
  6. Distribute to individual serving plates. You'll need tongs for serving because the noodles tend to clump and you'll need to separate them.
  7. I like some Chili Vinegar Sauce as a side with this dish.
NOTES:

  1. Noodles:

      This is the common thin rice noodles, often called "rice stick". Do not confuse them with mung bean (bean thread) noodles which look much the same when dry. For details see our Rice Noodles page.

  2. Chicken:

      Weight is for skinless / boneless meat. I use thigh/leg meat since American breast meat meat is rather dry and flavorless.

  3. Fish Sauce:

      This clear liquid is as essential to Southeast Asian cuisine as it was to Imperial Rome. If you are unfamiliar with it, see our Fish Sauce - Introduction page.

  4. Chili Paste:

      The ubiquitous Huy Fong Chili Garlic sauce, or Sriracha Sauce, will do fine.

  5. Red Curry Paste:

      This is one of the most important Thai chili pastes. It is available commercially but best made from our recipe Red Curry Paste. "Thai Red Chili Sauce" sold by yuppie oulets is not at all the same.

  6. Dry Roasted Peanuts:

      Use only raw peanuts and pan roast them yourself (see our recipe Dry Roasted Peanuts). They will be of very different flavor and texture than commercially roasted peanuts (which I don't like at all as a garnish).

  7. Chili:

      Around here everyone uses red ripe Fresnos, but Holland Red, Serrano (hotter) or whatever you have will work. For details see our Thai Chilis page.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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