Pad Kee Mao

Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)

A fiery Thai street-food stir-fry of wide rice noodles, holy basil and bird's eye chilli, cooked fast over high heat until the noodles blister and take on a smoky wok flavour. Traditionally made with pork, chicken or prawns.

Prep

20 min

Cook

10 min

Total

30 min

Serves

2

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (9 oz) wide flat rice noodles (sen yai), fresh, or dried soaked in hot water until pliable
• •200 g (7 oz) chicken thigh or pork loin, sliced thinly, or raw prawns
• •4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• •3-5 whole bird's eye chilli, to taste, roughly chopped
• •1 large egg
• •1 tbsp oyster sauce
• •1 tbsp light soy sauce
• •1 tsp dark soy sauce, for colour
• •1 tsp fish sauce
• •1 tsp sugar, palm sugar preferred
• •1 handful holy basil leaves, Thai basil is a common substitute if holy basil is unavailable
• •1 small onion or shallot, sliced
• •100 g (3½ oz) Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• •2 tbsp neutral oil, for high-heat frying

Steps

1. 1 If using dried rice noodles, soak in hot (not boiling) water for 10-15 minutes until pliable but still firm, then drain well. If using fresh noodles, separate them gently with your hands and loosen with a few drops of oil so they don't clump.
2. 2 Mix the sauce in a small bowl: oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
3. 3 Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over the highest heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat.
4. 4 Add the garlic and chilli. Stir-fry for 15-20 seconds until fragrant - do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter.
5. 5 Add the chicken, pork or prawns. Stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink and cooked through (chicken and pork: internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F; prawns: opaque and pink, about 2 minutes).
6. 6 Push everything to one side of the wok. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the empty side, then crack in the egg. Let it set for 10 seconds, then scramble it roughly and fold it into the meat.
7. 7 Add the onion and vegetables. Toss for 30-45 seconds - they should stay crisp-tender.
8. 8 Add the noodles. Pour the sauce over them. Toss constantly with tongs or a spatula for 1-2 minutes, letting the noodles touch the hot wok surface so they blister slightly and take on a smoky char.
9. 9 Turn off the heat. Toss in the holy basil leaves and stir until just wilted, about 15 seconds.
10. 10 Taste and adjust: more fish sauce for salt, more chilli for heat, a pinch of sugar if too sharp. Serve immediately while the noodles are still sizzling.