Bean Thread Noodles

When it's hot and humid I pine for South Asian food. Jennifer Brennan's excellent book, One Dish Meals of Asia, helped me get over my initial trepidation over approaching this cuisine in my own kitchen. (It's also a good read, which can't be said about all cookbooks). Her recipe for Laotian Odds and Ends Noodles was my first experience cooking bean threads (also called glass noodles), which are made from bean starch. I've been making variations of Ms Brennan's recipe for almost two decades - it's become one of "my" signature dishes. This is exactly the kind of dish I love: easy to make, inexpensive, practical home cooking that's good enough to serve to guests. It's also perfect hot weather food.

These noodles are no longer only found in Asian markets; recently I've seen them in supermarkets. They should not be difficult to track down, depending on where you live. That goes double for fish sauce, which is easy to find these days. At the table I offer any of the widely available Asian style hot sauces (Sriracha aka "Rooster" sauce, sambal oelek, chili garlic sauce) so each diner can adjust the heat to their taste. Those are the only "exotic" ingredients you'll need for this dish.

I use ground pork (preferably coarse ground), but ground beef, chicken, shrimp or any leftover meat you have will work; the meat is a supporting player here, not the star of the show. The cooking will go pretty quickly, so be sure to do all your prep work (cleaning, chopping, etc) in advance.

Bean Thread Noodles, Laos Style

This will make dinner for two with leftovers. If a third shows up you'll have enough. If you like your food on the salty side go a little heavier on the fish sauce.

large onion, cut in crescents
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
small piece fresh ginger, peeled, smashed and chopped (optional)
oil for frying (a few Tbs)
at least 1/2 lb ground pork (or other meat)
just over 1 Tbs fish sauce
4 50g hanks bean thread noodles (about 7 oz)
2 cups chicken broth
bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
bunch scallions, sliced into rounds

To garnish:

lemon and/or lime wedges
sliced cucumber (optional)
Asian style hot sauce, to taste
2 eggs
oil for frying (1 Tbs)

Heat oil in wok or large pan. Add onions and fry for a minute or two. Add garlic and ginger (if using) and fry for another minute. Add meat and continue to fry until meat is partially cooked. Add fish sauce and stir. Add bean thread noodles and broth, shifting the contents of the wok to make sure the noodles are covered with liquid. Lower the heat as the noodles absorb the liquid. Heat a small pan with a little oil. Beat the eggs and pour into small pan to make a simple omelette while noodles are finishing in the wok. When the omelette has set flip it in the pan and cut the heat. Once the noodles have absorbed all the liquid check to see if they're tender (if not add a little water). Turn the heat off the wok and stir in the scallions and cilantro. Transfer noodles to serving dish. Use a spatula to cut the omelette into strips, and lay them out attractively on top of the noodles. Garnish with lemon/lime wedges and cucumber slices (if using). Serve with hot sauce. If you prefer it saltier a squirt or two of fish sauce at the table will do the trick.