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.

Canned Tuna For Dinner Again?

I only eat canned tuna once a week, but I enjoy it. The stuff is healthy in moderation, easy to deal with and it's cheap. The best stuff seems to come from Italy (not so cheap), but an excellent inexpensive choice is out there: Genova Tonno in Olive Oil. It's quality yellowfin from Tri Union, the same people who bring us Chicken of the Sea. That means your supermarket can get it if they don't already carry it. At just over two bucks a can the stuff is a wonderfully cost-efficient indulgence: meaty, salty, rich and delicious. The olive oil is a perfect foil for the clean tuna flavor. It's good enough you can forgo the mayo on a sandwich; just drain and put the fish on a good sliced roll, like they do in Spanish cafes.

If you're feeling slightly more ambitious try this:


Salade Niçoise

This classic French recipe transforms a tuna salad into an elegant (and complete) meal. Like anything simple, the quality of the ingredients is the difference between good and great. If creamy new potatoes, fresh green beans and perfect salad greens are available at your local farmer's market they'd be the way to go. If you're at the mercy of your supermarket so be it, the result will still be delicious. This recipe serves two for lunch, but you can just add more stuff to make it substantial enough for a supper. A glass of white wine doesn't hurt, either.

For the salad:

6-10 small new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces
big handful of string beans, cleaned and broken into bite sized pieces
salad greens for two

For the toppings (tuna is a must, with any combination of the rest):

5 oz can quality tuna in oil, drained
hard-boiled egg, cut in half
2-4 anchovy fillets
Niçoise olives
cornichons
capers
chopped parsley

For the vinaigrette:

small clove garlic, finely chopped
pinch salt
ground black pepper, to taste
3-4 Tbs red wine vinegar
6-8 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Boil potatoes in lightly salted water. When they start to soften (test with a fork) add the green beans, cooking until potatoes are tender. Drain and cover with cold water for a couple minutes. Drain again and place potatoes and beans in the bottom of a salad bowl. Cover with salad greens and toppings. Mix together vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette just a little wetter than your taste, as the potatoes on the bottom will soak up some of the dressing. Serve immediately.


I promise to blog about something other than canned tuna next time.