Drunken Noodles

My favorite Thai dish. The "drunken" part supposedly refers to how much you have to drink to cancel out the spiciness; there's no alcohol in it! I prefer it not-so-spicy, though, so it's a little of a misnomer...

Matt and a friend from work have been taking that Gourmet Asian Cooking class together, and last week their focus was on Thailand. They didn't make this particular dish in class, but because they've been talking about bringing home their Asian cooking skills and making something for me to try for a while now, and we were all thinking about Thai food after their class, they decided to try making a batch for us all for supper. Since Little Bear would be eating too, and Baby Kit hasn't been a big fan of spicy food so far, they left out the actual chilis that the original recipe called for and used sweet chili sauce instead. It was a great idea: we got all of the flavor without the heat.

2 14oz packages 1/4"-wide flat rice noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 small garlic cloves, diced

3 to 4 chicken breasts, diced 

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup light/golden soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 12oz packages frozen mixed broccoli/carrots/cauliflower, thawed 

6 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring often. Drain.

When the noodles go in, start heating oil in wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add chicken, fish sauce, both soy sauces, and sugar and saute until chicken is cooked through.

Add chili sauce, vegetables, and noodles. After combining thoroughly, add more chili sauce if desired.

Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and scatter with the basil. Serve immediately.

(The menfolk ate the leftovers for lunch on Monday, including Little Bear, and unanimously declared it to be even better after the flavors had a chance to meld overnight. So don't be afraid to make the full recipe! It looked like a lot, but it sure disappeared quickly.)

Okay, Little Bear wasn't that sophisticated in his praise of it. But he very happily ate it all up, pointing out the different elements as he stabbed them with his fork: "Carrot, noodle, broccoli, LEAF!!!" The basil made quite the impression!