Experiments in Asian Cuisine: Singapore Noodles with Shrimp

Both Marshall and I adore Asian cuisine.  We have become lovers of Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai food; always looking for that amazing hole-in-the-wall local place where the food is delicious and authentic.  I know I'm always on the look-out for amazing ramen (if you've got suggestions, let me know!).  The problem is, while I can easily cool in the Western-European style, I am a complete klutz when it comes to Asian-style cooking.  I honestly would LOVE to find an Asian cooking class and take it at some point in my life.  I know that a white girl like me could never really master the true art of Asian-style cooking, but I would really like to get close.  There's a philosophy and a method to Asian cooking that I just can't seem to grasp.  I loved having an Italian grandma, but if only I could've had a Chinese grandma, too!  There's this balance of fast cooking and big flavors (without being TOO big) which I fumble all the time.  Hell, I can barely steam rice!  One of our wedding registry gifts was a wok.  My sister gave it to me for my birthday before the wedding and, while I was looking forward to receiving this gift like nobody's business, I was also highly intimidated.  My sister also got me this beautiful Asian cookbook from William and Sonoma with amazing recipes from all over the Asian continent and sub-continent.  So far, Marshall and I have experimented with the noodle recipes, which have so far yielded acceptable-to-good results.  This particular recipe, though, came from the all-wonderful-and-amazing America's Test Kitchen: Cooking for Two 2010 from last year.

I know Marshall is always up for cooking Asian-style foods, even if he isn't always up for going out for Asian-style food (still haven't figure out how that works...), so I decided to give this recipe for Singapore Noodles with Shrimp a shot.  Since we live in such a culturally diverse area, we have access to many Asian markets and we can usually find the new or sometimes "odd" ingredients listed in some recipes.  Luckily, all the ingredients listed for this recipe can easily be found at your local Safeway in the "Asian aisle".  You could also find them at other more special stores like Whole Foods.  All in all, this turned out to be a successful dish and I didn't fumble it too much while cooking.  Since stir-frying is a very fast-paced method of cooking, it's is invaluable to have all your ingredients prepped (chopped, sliced, measured, etc.) before heating up the wok or pan.  This prep stage can be time-consuming, but it is definitely worth it.  This is one of the many reasons why I absolutely love my set of mise en place bowls from William and Sonoma.  They are a godsend when it comes to cooking this way!


Singapore Noodles with Shrimp
Serves 2

4 ounces Dried Rice Vermicelli
8 ounces Shrimp, extra-large sized, peeled and deveined
1-1/2 teaspoons Curry Powder
1/8 teaspoon Sugar
4 teaspoons Vegetable Oil
3 Shallots, sliced thin
1 Red Bell Pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 1/4" strips
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/2 Cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Mirin
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha Sauce
1 Cup Bean Sprouts (about 2 ounces)
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, minced

1.  Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot.  Remove the boiling water from the heat, add the rice noodles, and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain the noodles and set aside.
2.  Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon of the curry powder an sugar.  Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking (you can obviously use a wok, if you've got one).  Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute.  Stir the shrimp and continue to cook until spotty brown and just pink around the edges, about 30 seconds longer.  Transfer the shrimp to a bowl, cover and set aside.
3.  Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oi lin the skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the remaining 1-1/4 teaspoons curry powder, shallots and bell pepper, and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4.  Stir in the drained noodles and shrimp, along with any accumulated juice, broth, soy sauce, Mirin, and Sriracha and cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are well coated and heated through, about 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the bean sprouts and cilantro and serve.
Credit:  America's Test Kitchen:  Cooking for Two 2010, p. 41.