During a college visit several years ago, my family and I tried this dish for the first time. Of all the entrees we ordered, this plate of wide tender noodles was the most popular. After the trip and home back in my kitchen, I went about recreating the dish.

Freshly made rice noodles are the way to go here—dried noodles can be substituted, but there’s no comparison to the flavor of the sauce absorbed in fresh noodles and the tender bite. You’ll want to pick some up, along with the Thai basil, and the ingredients for the sauce at your local Asian market near the produce department.

Feel free to adjust the vegetables and protein to your family’s taste. Drunken Noodles quickly became a family favorite in our home and one we love eating on a regular basis.

Drunken Noodles

by Julie Awad

4 servings

PREP

40 mins

COOK

40 mins

TOTAL

1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

sauce

3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

1½ tablespoons mushroom soy sauce

1½ tablespoons oyster sauce

2¼ tablespoons fish sauce

1½ tablespoons brown sugar

1½ tablespoons Sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste

vegetables and steak

5 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets

1 cup red bell peppers, cut into 1½-inch squares

1 cup mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered

½ medium white onion, sliced lengthwise

½ lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

noodles

1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 serrano peppers, sliced into rounds

3 eggs

5 cups fresh rice noodles, (32 oz) separated

1 bunch Thai basil, whole leaves

½ cup grape tomatoes, halved

Method

the noodles

Fresh noodles come packaged in oil and will need to be carefully separated. Use your fingers to peel the noodles apart and as long as possible, but broken noodles are fine.

the sauce

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

stir-fry

Heat a tablespoon of oil on medium-high in a wok. When oil is hot, sauté the broccoli pieces for a minute, or until the desired color on the exterior of the florets is reached. Slowly add 3 tablespoons of water and cover immediately to steam the broccoli stalks. Uncover the lid as soon as all the water has evaporated. Move broccoli to a large covered bowl to keep warm while you continue cooking the remaining vegetables. Add a tablespoon of oil to the wok and stir-fry the red pepper until brown along the edges. Remove and keep warm with the broccoli. Repeat with the sliced mushrooms and onions.

Add steak to the wok and allow to cook undisturbed. When the edges are brown, toss the meat to cook the other side to desired doneness. Remove and keep warm with the rest of the vegetables.

the noodles

Carefully wipe wok clean from steak drippings using tongs and a paper towel. Add a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add garlic and serrano pepper, then cook until lightly brown. Add eggs and lightly scramble until barely set. Add fresh rice noodles in small bunches to not over crowd your cooking surface. Noodles will soften and edges will become slightly crisp. Gradually add more noodles until all are cooked.

Add the sauce and use tongs to move the noodles around to coat them evenly. Add the warm vegetables and steak, coating them into the sauce. Add basil and tomatoes. Toss to combine for about 3 to 5 minutes to allow the basil to wilt.

Notes

Use fresh rice noodles for best results. Chicken or shrimp may be substituted for the beef.

Use a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger (peeled and minced) and 2 cloves of garlic (finely minced) in place of the ginger garlic paste, if preferred.