Ginger Shrimp Noodles

Ginger Shrimp Noodles

This dish is a winner winner--RT loves it, many of the ingredients are staple items and it comes together very quickly!  I have been making this dish for years but rice noodles do not reheat well so I often make this for small dinner gatherings.  All of the prep is done ahead and can be refrigerated, it cooks up in minutes--seriously minutes--filling the air with the tantalizing scents of ginger and garlic.  Perfect!  

This weekend I discovered a package of chop suey noodles at the back of the pantry--really, chop suey noodles--I have no idea where they came from but decided to try them in this recipe.  They were just perfect and did reheat nicely so this dish just moved up to the "Standard Weeknight Meal" category and the beauty is just about any noodle you like, or have, will be delicious.

Spicy Asian noodle sauce

This dish absolutely demands a good prep--everything goes into a hot wok systematically and within minutes--so I just prep all the components and line them up.  Making the sauce first allows the flavors to mingle and become cohesive.  Most of the ingredients are right to hand in the pantry and refrigerator:  red pepper flakes, Thai fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sugar.

Once your sauce is together put a pot of water on to boil.

Parboiled peas, garlic and scallions

This is a simple recipe so each component really plays its part so in an ideal world the peas would be freshly gathered in from the garden but petite frozen peas will do.  (I will be on the look out for sugar snap peas in the produce section next week.)  Just thaw the peas out by parboiling them in the microwave for a few minutes.  Clean and chop the scallions.  The recipe calls for 1 TB of garlic divided into halves--half is for the sauce so a fine mince is best and the other half is cooked with scallions.

Thawed, brined and drained shrimp

Once your shrimp is thawed or partially thawed you might like to brine it.  Using a brine adds flavor and moisture to the shrimp.  (RT has no idea what I do in the kitchen but he always comments on the exceptionallity of the shrimp if I have brined them.)  Very simply rinse and drain the shrimp and give them a little spa treatment in a bowl of cold water and a teaspoon of salt.  Let them rest in the fridge for an hour before assembling the dish.  As you assemble the ingredients let the shrimp drain in a colander to remove excess water.  

Once you have gathered all the components prepare the noodles.  If you are using rice noodles there are instructions included in the recipe below.  If you are being adventurous just follow the instructions on the package of noodles you are using.  Take care not to over cook the noodles, they will continue cooking a bit even after draining and will cook even further in the wok--so take them off the heat and drain them when they are "al dente".

If you have a wok now is the time to use it--if not, a large saute pan will suffice.  Heat the pan over high/med. high heat and add the oil.  Just for fun I used coconut oil--it had very good flavor and the high heat did not cause any smoking.  When the oil is hot and shimmering add the shrimp.  Cook for a few minutes, flipping or stirring them to cook on both sides.  Add the scallions and ginger and cook for another minute and then add the peas and noodles.

The shrimp have only been in the pan for four minutes and they have already begun to "pink" up--a sign of doneness.

Add the sauce and cook until everything is warmed through.

 

Using tongs helps to incorporate all the ingredients.

I love the taste of fresh cilantro and enjoy more citrus than my partner so I finished the dish with minced cilantro and fresh lime wedges on the side.

 When the dish is finished, slipping the entire thing into a large warm bowl ensures that the cooking action stops and helps to distribute all the ingredients a bit more evenly.  Plate into warm shallow bowls, finish with fresh cilantro and lime and serve immediately with a smile.

Ginger Shrimp Noodles

Sauce:

1 tb. Thai fish sauce

3 tbs. soy sauce

2 tbs. rice vinegar

2 tbs. water

1 tb. sugar

1 tb. ginger, minced

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tb. garlic, minced, separated into two halves

2 tbs. canola oil

6 scallions, cut into small rounds

1 cup frozen peas

1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined and brined*

1 lb. rice noodles**

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

lime wedges

This dish cooks in less than 10 min. and things go in the wok quickly so have all the ingredients prepared, lined up and ready to go.

Prepare the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a bowl and let marinate while you prep everything else.

Put a large pot of water on to boil.  As soon as it boils add 1 TB salt, stir and remove from the heat.  Add the rice noodles and set timer for 6 min.  After 6 min, check the noodles and continue checking until they are “al dente”.  When the noodles are done drain them and set them aside.

Meanwhile prepare the shrimp and scallions.  Put the peas in a small bowl, cover with water and ½ t. salt.  Cook in the microwave for 3 min., drain and set aside.

As soon as the noodles are drained put a wok or other large frying pan on high/medium heat.  When the pan is hot add the oil and sauté the shrimp for 1-2 min.  Add scallions and garlic, cook for 1 min.  Add noodles and peas, cook for 1 min. or until the noodles are warmed through.  Slowly add the sauce, using tongs to distribute it evenly.  Stir constantly until the sauce begins to boil around the edges of the pan.  Pour entire ingredients into a large warm bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro.  Serve immediately.

*Shrimp brine:  Dissolve a tsp. of salt in a bowl of cold water.  Add thawed shrimp and place in fridge for an hour.  Take care to drain it for a several minutes before cooking to help avoid “splatter” from excess water hitting the hot oil in the wok.

**Just about any noodle you like or have on hand will work in this dish:  chop suey noodles, soba noodles, angel hair pasta, linguini, etc.  So be creative and let me know what you try.