Recipe

Step 1: Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles, stirring often, according to the package instructions. You do not want al dente noodles. They should be fully soft, but not cooked so long that they turn to mush.

Step 2: Prepare a large bowl of cold water and ice cubes. Drain the noodles well in a colander, then rinse them well under lukewarm running water to wash off the starch. Shake the colander to drain the noodles well, then transfer it to the ice water, gently stirring the noodles with your hands.

Step 3: When the noodles have fully cooled, drain them well once more and let them sit in the colander, shaking it occasionally, for about
30 minutes.

Step 4: Stir-fry the noodles. Toss the noodles well in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of the oil. In a small bowl, stir together both soy sauces, the oyster sauce, the sugar and the salt until the sugar and salt mostly dissolve. Add the mixture to the noodle and toss to coat well. (Use a handful of noodles to mop up any sauce stuck to the small bowl and return it to the bowl of noodles.)

Step 5: Let the noodles sit in the sauce for 10 minutes or so.

Step 6: Heat a wok over very high heat, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and swirl it in the wok to coat the sides. When it begins to smoke lightly, add the noodles and 1 tbsp of the fried shallots. Stir-fry (constantly stirring, scooping and flipping the ingredients) until the noodles are hot through and have had a chance to absorb the sauce, 2-3 minutes. It’s fine if the noodles break as you stir. Taste and gradually season with a little more sugar and some of the fish sauce, if you’d like.

Step 7: Serve the noodles. Transfer the noodles to a plate, let them cool slightly and sprinkle on the remaining tbsp of fried shallots. Toss well before you eat it.

See more recipes from Pok Pok.

Excerpted from Pok Pok by Andy Ricker (2013 Ten Speed Press).