Recipe - Mee Krob (Crisp-Fried Noodles)

Stephen Ceideburg
2 tablespoon Fish sauce
2 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
2 Limes, juice only
3 tablespoon Vinegar
One fourth cup Brown sugar or half brown
and half palm sugar
Oil, for deepfrying
6 ounce Rice sticks
4 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 md Onion, finely minced
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 small Red or green chile, seeds
removed, finely minced
Three fourths pound Minced pork, minced chicken,
or peeled shrimp, or a
mixture
2 Green onions, cut or sliced up , for
garnish

This special occasion noodle dish is a favorite in
many Thai restaurants. Some versions are extremely
sweet and sticky; this version is less so, but the
important flavors are still sweet, sour, and salty in
that order. Be sure to use a large enough pan for
saucing the noodles (step 5); a 14inch wok is ideal.

1. In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce,
lime juice, vinegar, and sugar and set aside.

2. In a wok or deep skillet, heat oil to 350 degrees
F. Drop approximately an ounce of rice sticks into the
oil; they will puff up and rise to the top of the oil
in only a few seconds. Turn them over once and fry
until crisp, about 15 seconds in all. Transfer
finished noodles to a pan lined with paper towels and
continue frying the batter in small batches. Keep
noodles warm in a low oven.

3. Dip a hand in the beaten egg and, holding your hand
approximately 8 inches above the hot oil, drizzle egg
over the surface in a random pattern. Continue with
about half the egg mixture, forming a lacy network of
egg. Fry until golden brown on underside, turn over
once, and brown other side. Transfer to a plate and
drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining egg.

4. Heat a second wok over medium high heat and add
approximately 2 tablespoons oil from the first wok.
Add onion, garlic, and chile and cook until they are
fragrant. Add meats or shrimp and stirfry just until
done.

5. Stir sugar mixture and add to wok. Bring to a boil
and cook until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low
and add about a quarter of the fried noodles and eggs.
Stir together and toss to break up noodle clumps and
coat with sauce. Continue adding noodles and eggs in
batches until all are coated with sauce. Transfer to
serving platter and garnish with cut or sliced up green onion.

Serves 4 with other dishes.

From the California Culinary Academy's "Southeast
Asian Cooking", Jay Harlow, published by the Chevron
Chemical Company, 1987. ISBN 0897210980.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini