Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles), Mia Renaud

PAD KEE MAO (DRUNKEN NOODLES)

Instructions:

1. Cover your rice noodles with VERY hot tap water in a large bowl and stir to separate. Let the noodles soak until softened and pliable, but not fully tender (25-30 minutes) and drain. 2. Meanwhile, toss chicken or protein with 1½ teaspoons of soy sauce in a bowl, cover, and marinade in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes or up to an hour. In separate bowl, whisk ¼ cup soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, and 1 cup of water. Set aside. 3. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken or protein, break up any clumps, and cook, without stirring, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Stir chicken and continue to cook until nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes; transfer to bowl. 4. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to now empty skillet and heat over high heat until just smoking. Add bok choy or vegetables and cook in skillet. (If using bok choy, cook stalks first until spotty brown, about 2 minutes, then stir in leaves and cook until wilted.) Transfer to bowl with chicken/ protein. 5. Wipe again-empty skillet clean, add remaining 4 teaspoons of vegetable oil, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add drained rice noodles and soy sauce mixture and cook, tossing gently, until noodles are tender and well coated (about 5 to 10 minutes). Once sauce has thickened, add chicken/protein and vegetables, add the cilantro, and stir until heated through. Sprinkle with scallions (optional) and serve!

This Thai dish is one of my favorites because it’s easy and quick to make, and it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Additionally, it’s easily customizable, hard to mess up, and feels just like takeout, but homemade!

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I found it in an America’s Test Kitchen cookbook a few years back.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons pork lard , or butter (lard is traditionally used and we strongly recommend it for the best flavor) • 3 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on (this is traditional and recommended because it creates the most flavor, but alternatively you can use boneless/skinless pieces of chicken) • 2 medium yellow onions, very finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and very finely diced • 1 Hungarian bell pepper, diced (optional) • 3-4 tablespoons quality, genuine imported sweet Hungarian paprika • 2 cups Aneto 100% All-Natural Chicken Broth (our most favorite chicken broth) or Aneto low sodium chicken broth • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup full fat sour cream , room temperature (important to avoid lumps; be sure also to use full fat) • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream