Thai cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Pad Kee Mao

Wide rice noodles stir-fried fiercely hot in the wok with chicken, plenty of chili and Thai basil – the "drunken noodles".

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 400g wide rice noodles
• 400g chicken breast fillets
• 6 Thai chilies
• 6 garlic cloves
• 100g baby corn
• 2 sprigs green peppercorns (or 1 tsp pickled green peppercorns)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 handful Thai basil

Instructions

1. Carefully separate fresh rice noodles – soak dried ones in warm water for 30 minutes and drain well; cut the chicken breast into thin strips.
2. Roughly pound the Thai chilies and garlic in a mortar, halve the baby corn lengthwise and strip the green peppercorns from the sprigs.
3. Stir together the oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce and the sugar in a small bowl.
4. Heat the oil in the wok until smoking, fry the chili-garlic paste for 20 seconds, add the chicken strips and sear over high heat for 3 minutes, until browned on the outside.
5. Toss in the baby corn and green peppercorns briefly, then stir in the noodles and the sauce mixture and fry over high heat for 2–3 minutes, until the noodles turn glossy dark and show char marks.
6. Fold in the Thai basil just until it wilts, and serve immediately – Pad Kee Mao doesn't hold well.