Recipes and Tales from Chianti--Radda

Orazio overseeing the dinner.

You had to know where to look, or you would never find it!

Cantuccini and Vin Santo

The Chianti region is very similar to the mountains of southwest Virginia, dipping into the foothills at its southern boundary.

As far as I could tell these people are 'living well'. They enjoy life fully. This includes the butcher, the baker and the owners of the beautiful sprawling properties that have been lovingly restored.

We didn't lack for good dining, and splurged on a couple of over the top meals, but the one I enjoyed most was recommended by our hosts. They drew a map. There was no sign-not even a name. It was the restaurant of Orazio, the town baker. Our host told us it was one of the last truly authentic Tuscan dining experiences, where we would find a mix of the people in the village having lunch.We finally found the door after passing it more than once. Inside, down a little hall, up a couple of steps and we walked into what could have been the dining room of a modest home.
We had been told we would be greeted by a very stern look--and we were, but it turned into a beautiful smile. This was the daughter of Orazio. She brought water and wine and asked if we wanted pomodoro or bolognese. That was it--our only choice of the meal.
I could see into the kitchen. She began to peel potatoes and pulled out different meats from the local butcher. The meal went on for three courses when Orazio came in--90 year old Orazio--the baker of the village, dressed in his white baking coat. He reached into the bottom of a sideboard and pulled out an unlabeled bottle of Vin Santo , a very sweet dessert wine, and brought it to the table with a plate of cantuccini he had just baked. They were small biscotti to dip into the vin santo. For other diners a basket of fresh peaches was passed.
The meal couldn't have been fresher or more local, and I think you can imagine the flavor. Everyone had an air of contentment--happiness with their life. As the diners finished their meals they stepped into the kitchen to pay. No check, no cash register, just money on the counter and a grazie and ciao to the cook.
They were all 'living well'! In that moment they were contented with their lives, and so was I. There is a lesson to be learned. 

Pasta Pomodoro

Pasta Pomodoro

Extra virgin olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan (about 1/4 cup)

1sweet onion chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

6-8 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped

1 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

1teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

8 large basil leaves ( or similar quantity) rolled together and cut into tiny strips

12 ounces of pasta, your choice, cooked according to package

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Extra olive oil

Place skillet over medium heat and add olive. When oil is heated add onion and cook stirring occasionally until onions become translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute before adding tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, sugar and red pepper flakes. Cook slowly for about 20 minutes until tomatoes lose their shape and sauce thickens.

Drain cooked pasta and add sauce and basil. Serve with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Recipes and Tales from Chianti--Panzano

Dario Cecchini is the famous butcher at Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano in Chianti.  Here he is preparing porchetta which will later be served in his restaurant upstairs, along with delicious pork very similar to pulled pork and Beefsteak Fiorentina tartar.

And what meal would be complete without your very own Grappa?

We had several destinations in mind for day trips while in Chianti. One was to Panzano, only 11 km away from home base, to visit Dario, the Rockstar Butcher.  Even with stories on the Internet I was not prepared for the experience.  Dario Cecchini who is the butcher of Panzano now has three restaurants in his small village and has been visited by culinary celebrities and written about in many food magazines.  The butcher shop becomes a stage with frenzied patrons when Dario takes up his knife.  The day we were there he prepared two porchettas for roasting to the blasts of AC/DC.  By the end the wine was flowing and the people who filled the tiny butcher shop were cheering. It was amazing! I bought from the shop fresh tuna that he had preserved and sealed. And that night we prepared a very simple pasta dish using the tuna. (I know, tuna from a butcher shop, but it was one of his unique specialties.)
Several days later we returned to Panzano to eat in one of his restaurants and sample the delicious pork and beef dishes, another experience I will never forget.  We ate with a long table of guests, including many locals. The sample platter included Tuscan beef tartar, cubes of something that tasted like a fancy meatloaf, pulled pork and porchetta, all delicious.
Life is good in the Chianti region of Tuscany!

Easy Summer Pasta Dish with Tuna

Extra virgin olive oil
2 large red onions thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup chopped olives 
1 lb. good canned tuna drained
2 or 3 handfuls of fresh arugula
Salt to taste
Freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
12 oz pasta, your choice, prepared according to pkg directions

Add about 1/4 cup olive oil to large skillet over medium/low heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized. Next add the tomatoes, rosemary, pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and chickpeas. Taste and add salt if needed. Cook until tomatoes lose their shape. Add tuna being careful not to breakup too much and finally the arugula.  Immediately toss with pasta and serve with grated cheese.

Mai Fun in March

Try something new this spring! It may be too early to plant, but it's never to early to plan. I saved the seeds from a little Sprite Melon last year. I love the small size and pear/honeydew flavor. It's time to get the seeds started inside. I'm going to plant some in peat pots, and later I'll try some seeds directly into the warm ground. We'll see which works best. Look for the Sprite Melon at your farmer's market in a couple of months. It's a fairly new melon being grown predominantly in North Carolina.

How about a new hobby that would make you a provider of locally grown food? When I drove by the feed and seed store last week and saw their sign, I began thinking about an old dream to have honeybees—bees that would produce wonderful honey made from the surrounding field flowers. This idea has been in the back of my mind for a long time.

There are clubs for beekeepers dedicated to raising and protecting the honeybee in Southwest Virginia. Since the honeybee is essential to pollinate many crops, there are even grants for more serious entrepreneurs. Call the Virginia Cooperative Extension for more information, or stop by your farm supply store.

Meanwhile, here's something new and a little different to make at home. Mai Fun doesn't have to come in a box. I'm not a big fan of 'almost homemade' because it usually leads to an 'almost good' result, but for this recipe I did use some packaged products.

House Fried Mai Fun with Chicken and Vegetables

1 lb. Skinless chicken thighs

Asian Orange Ginger Stir Fry Sauce (I use La Choy) or other similar sauce of choice

1 quart Chicken Broth

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 cup small carrot sticks

6 oz. Mai Fun (thin rice noodles)

2 T vegetable oil

3 spring onions, including greens, chopped

1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 eggs

1 (¾ ounce) package Fried Rice Seasoning Mix or other similar seasoning mix (I use Sun-Bird)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray casserole dish with Pam.

Coat chicken thighs with Orange Ginger Sauce, place in casserole and bake until meat is tender, and coming away from bone, about 45 minutes. Remove from dish, and when cool enough to handle, remove meat from the bones and shred it. Return shredded meat to drippings left in casserole.

Add broth to sauce pan, bring it to a simmer, add broccoli and carrots and blanch, cooking for only a few minutes. Drain, setting vegetables aside, and save hot broth.

Soften noodles by covering them with the very hot broth. Allow them to stand for ten minutes. Drain noodles, saving one-fourth cup broth.

In large nonstick skillet add oil over medium-high heat. Add drained noodles and onions and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Next, add seasoning mix and reserved one-fourth cup broth and stir to combine. Push noodles to the side and add eggs, cooking just until scrambled, then stir them into noodles.

Finally, add blanched vegetables, chicken and water chestnuts to noodles. Stir to combine and heat through.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

1 head fresh cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets

1 head fresh broccoli cut into bite-sized florets

1 sweet onion, cut into sixteenths

2 sweet red peppers, cut into sixteenths

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2-3 tablespoons

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup pecan pieces

2 cups orzo (rice shaped pasta), cooked as directed in salted water and drained

One-half stick butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Lemon slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 430°.

Combine vegetables in large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to completely coat.

Spread in one layer onto large sheet pan covered with foil for easy cleanup.

Roast for about 45 minutes or until vegetables begin to toast on the edges. Turn several times with tongs while cooking.

Add pecans (you can use other nuts, ie pine nuts or walnuts, but pecans are a good choice) during the last 15 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook orzo according to package directions.

Drain and add butter, cut into small pieces, and grated parmesan. Toss to combine.

Toss in roasted vegetables.

Garnish with extra parmesan cheese curls.

Serve immediately with a slice of fresh lemon.

Fantastic Weeknight Lasagna: Back to Italy!

Lasagna--So Easy You HAVE to Try It!

This sounded so good, and looked so easy, I had to try it. I found the recipe in a recent Rachel Ray magazine, but instead of being an original 30 Minute Rachel Ray special, it was emailed by a reader in New York. Here are the original recipe ingredients, followed by my changes. They are both delicious, fast and easy! I'm definitely going to make this during the holidays for a non-turkey company dinner.

Original Ingredients:

1 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage

1 head of escarole, chopped

1 (24 oz.) jar tomato sauce

1 (9oz.) package fresh cheese ravioli

16oz. Shredded mozzarella

My Changed-Up Recipe

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 lb. Hot Italian Sausage

4 slices thick, meaty bacon, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (12 oz.) package large mushroom slices

1 (9 oz.) bag fresh spinach

Salt to taste

1 (24 oz.) jar pasta sauce (I used Emeril's Tomato Basil)

1 (24 oz.) package fresh three cheese Ravioli

5 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350°.

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add Sausage and cook until browned. Drain excess oil from sausage and onion and set aside.

Add chopped bacon to pan, and saute until browning. Add garlic, stir around for about 30 seconds and then add mushrooms. Cook just until mushrooms begin giving off liquid. Don't cook all the way. Add spinach and toss with tongs until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

In greased 9 x 13 inch casserole, begin layering. Add half the tomato sauce, cover with half the raviolis in a single layer, then half sausage, spinach and cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling all the way through. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Five or Less!

Five Recipes with 5 Ingredients or Less

Is it possible to have interesting, layers of flavor with five ingredients or less? YES!

I know I get a little involved sometimes. This idea actually came about the morning after--after I spent the previous day in the kitchen preparing a fairly elaborate (involved) meal. We were at the coast with the seafood market only a two minute bike ride away--the next thing I knew my Numero Uno (daughter) helper in the kitchen and her husband, also a great cook, and I were in the kitchen with a pound of fresh shrimp. We made two dishes and crostini in the time it took to cook pasta--less than 30 minutes--and honestly, it may have been better than the meal I worked so hard on the day before.

(I'm not counting salt and pepper in my ingredients!)

So, here they are: 5 recipes, each with 5 ingredients or less:

Garlic Shrimp

1) 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2) 1 T extra virgin olive oil

3) 3 garlic cloves, minced

4) 1/2 tsp. dried red chili flakes-or to taste

5) 1 cup dry white wine

Salt to taste

Add olive oil to medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes, and cook just until garlic is softened, 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for about two minutes, or until shrimp just begins to turn pink. Finally, add wine and cook until reduced to half. Season with salt to taste.

Serve with pasta, crostini, or just a spoon!

Garlic Tomatoes and Brie

1) six garlic cloves, chopped, or less according to taste

2) 2 T extra virgin olive oil

3) 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

4) 1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

5) 16 oz. Brie, cut into small pieces (don't remove outside)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add olive oil to medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook just until softened, about 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring, and cook until tomatoes are warmed through and beginning to change shape.

Combine brie and basil chiffonade in serving bowl. Pour hot tomatoes and garlic over cheese, and stir to combine, letting the brie soften in the warm sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta, with crostini, or again, with a spoon!

Crostini

1) 1 fresh baguette cut into half inch slices

2) 1 stick butter, melted

3) 1 T mixed Italian dried herbs

4) 1 tsp. garlic salt

Arrange bread slices on a sheet pan. Mix melted butter, dried herbs and garlic salt. Brush each crostini with melted butter mix and place in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes, just until crostini begin to brown, and become crisp.

Flat-leaf Parsley Pasta

1) 1 lb. campanelle pasta (or your favorite pasta), cooked in salted water and drained (reserve 1 cup cooking liquid)

2) 2 T butter

3) 2 garlic cloves, minced

4) 1/3 cup chopped Flat-leaf parsley (or your favorite herb, ie Thyme or Sage)

5) grated Parmesan Cheese

Add butter to medium sized skillet over medium heat. When melted, add garlic and cook just until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add parsley cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add drained pasta, and enough of the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese to taste.

Serve as is, with Garlic Tomatoes and Brie, or Garlic Shrimp.

Sgroppino

1) 2 pts. fresh strawberries, sliced (Set aside a few slices for garnish.)

2) 1/2 cup sugar

3) 1 chilled bottle Prosecco

4) 3 pts. lemon sorbetto, frozen

Add sugar to sliced strawberries and set aside.

Pulse one cup of chilled Prosecco with half the sorbetto in blender just until combined, then add half the berries and pulse again (You want this to stay icy. May have to add a cube or two of crushed ice.)

Pour into festive glasses and top with just a bit of Prosecco and a strawberry slice.

Repeat with remaining ingredients when ready for another glass.

Big Soups-Big Flavor!

This post is featured in the Wild Table portion of the current Wild River Review! Thank you, Warren Bobrow!

http://www.wildriverreview.com/wildtable/?p=1415

Tuscan/Southern

Culinary

Conspiracy Theory

Since my first experience with traditional Italian food from the Chianti region, I've been quietly obsessed with the similarities between the recipes of my Southern background and these newly found treasures. There's much more to this than I can cover in one blog post, but to give you a good example, I'll begin with my Grandmother's Chicken and Dumplings.

Everyone thinks their mother, or grandmother had the best recipes for their favorite things. I know that, but in this particular case, I am absolutely sure Mama Nell's Chicken and Dumplings were the best in the whole world. She knew we loved them, so she made them often.

I liked playing with the dough and sneaking a bite of chicken. I wish I'd been paying more attention to exactly what she was doing, because try as I do, mine still aren't as good as hers, but I'm not giving up.

Mama Nell made what she called 'slick' dumplings. She made her dough, using cooled broth from the simmering chicken. And I can still see her bringing the dough together in a big bowl. I wish it had been a dough board, but it was just a regular glass bowl. And I also remember her spreading a piece of newspaper over the counter, taping it down, and rolling her dough on the paper after flouring it. I really don't know why, unless is had to do with drying the noodles a little before dropping them in the simmering broth, or maybe it made clean up easier. Whatever the reason, making slick dumplings is a part of my Southern heritage.

On the other hand, and completely unrelated in my mind, I had a real desire to take pasta classes and learn to make fresh pasta. No matter how many times I saw Mario Batali on the Food Network make the well of flour, and mix the eggs, I didn't make the connection until I actually went to Italy and was standing in the the kitchen of a wonderful Italian 'Mama' and we made pasta together on her kitchen table, and then it hit me: this is just exactly like making slick dumplings with Mama Nell. Well, it wasn't exactly. The ingredients were basically the same, but with different proportions. The kneading and rolling were much more intense making pasta, but it's a very similar process with a very similar result!

Chicken Stew with Pasta or Slick Dumplings
Step 1:
4 lb. whole chicken cut into pieces, including neck and giblets
2 celery stalks cut into large pieces
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots cut, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 sprigs of fresh sage
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
2 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Freshly ground pepper

Place chicken pieces in soup pot and cover by two inches with water. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot leaving a little opening, and cook until meat is tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken to bowl and set aside to cool. Discard vegetables, giblets and neck. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard bones and skin. Roughly shred chicken.

Step 2:
Slick Dumplings* OR 16 oz. dried wide egg noodle pasta

Place chicken broth over medium-high heat. When it boils, reduce heat to simmer and add noodles or dumplings to pot. Cook as directed. (Add extra chicken broth**if needed.)

Step 3:
1 T butter
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 T all purpose flour
One-half cup whipping cream

Add butter and olive oil to medium sized pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onions, and saute until vegetables are tender. Add flour, stirring to combine, and cook for 2 minutes while continuing to stir. Add whipping cream, stir, and set aside until ready to add to soup pot.

Step 4:
When noodles are cooked, add shredded chicken and cooked vegetables with whipping cream back to pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about five-ten minutes until broth thickens a little.


*Slick Dumplings
2 eggs, beaten
3 oz. Broth, cooled
4 T cooking oil—a little less if using fatty broth
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups all purpose flour

Beat eggs, broth, oil, and salt together. Slowly add flour continuing to stir and mix until dough forms. Knead in bowl a couple of minutes and form smooth ball. Cover and refrigerate for one or two hours.

When ready to cook, remove dough from refrigerator and halve. Roll half the dough on lightly floured surface until thin. Cut into one inch strips, and then cut the strips into 4-5 inch pieces.

Now they are ready to drop into simmering broth. Allow to cook in simmering broth without stirring for about five minutes.



**Chicken Broth

When you roast chicken, save the bones or carcass, along with any pan drippings.
Place in soup pot, cover with water, add roughly chopped vegetables (carrots, onion, celery—or other vegetables you might have, but beware—think ahead about the flavors you might be adding to your broth). Also add any fresh herbs, sage is my favorite for chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer bones, pan drippings, vegetables and herbs for about 40 minutes. Cool and strain. Freeze broth and have it ready whenever you need extra chicken broth.

Fresh Pasta and Two Meals in One!

Arugula Lasagna

When I first tasted this lasagna recipe, I realized that the heavy, meaty, cheesy lasagna I grew up with (and still enjoy) was not the only lasagna on the block! This is a delicate, melt in your mouth concoction, partly because of the thin homemade pasta, and partly because of the fresh flavor of the filling. This is my best interpretation of Lasagne alla Rucola I ate in Gaiole in Chianti with Tutti a Tavola, a group of 'Mamas' who invite you into their homes, and share their cooking skills. It was all a wonderful experience. The second best part of the recipe is what you can do with the remaining cooked pasta. Dried of excess moisture on dish towels, and rolled, you can store it in a zip lock bag in the frig for several days. We made Kale & Pancetta Fettucini, and it was fantastic, but you use your imagination!

PASTA:
2 cups ‘00’ Flour, or unbleached all purpose flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Use well method to make pasta..or...

Add flour to food processor. Beat eggs and olive oil, and add to flour with processor running. When ball forms, stop and remove. Add little more flour to dough to keep it from being so sticky.
Knead dough about 8 minutes: push forward using heel of palm, keeping fingers bent. Fold in half,give a half turn, press hard against dough with heel of palm, and repeat. Continue to turn in same direction. Dough will finally become very smooth, and is ready to thin.
Divide into 10 pieces, wrap in Saran Wrap.
Now roll each piece through the machine beginning with several passes through #1, then increasing the number each time until the pasta becomes as thin as you want it. Flour counter well, and lay pasta strips down, flour top of strips and cover with saran wrap to keep pasta from drying out too much and sticking together while waiting to cook.
Boil strips, about 3 at a time, for 2 minutes in salted water. Remove with spider spatula and cool in ice water.
This is an interesting step: after cooling, rinse each piece under running water, and then squeeze piece out, a little like squeezing out a dish cloth, except a little gentler. This rinsing and the squeezing removes extra starch, and water. The cooked pasta, even though very thin, is stronger than you think it will be!
Now, lay the strips on dish towels, and continue until all strips are cooked. I add towels over top and stack, which dries both bottom and top of pasta.

• 1 pound fresh pasta, cooked, or lasagna noodles, prepared as directed on package
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup milk, divided, plus extra if needed after cooking
• 2/3 cups ricotta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cup grated fresh Pecorino, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 ounces Arugula
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering casserole dish
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

2 shallots thinly sliced and sauteed in butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare 13 inch x 9 inch casserole dish with butter.
Mix together gorgonzola and 1/4 cup milk. Add ricotta, heavy cream, 1/2 cup Pecorino, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

(Look how thin the pasta is! You can see right through it to the cheese and arugula layer below!)

Chop the arugula thinly. Reserve ~12 leaves for garnish.
Saute arugula in 2 T butter just until wilted. Add minced garlic and saute for about one minute. Add arugula mixture to cheese mixture.
Add 1/4 cups milk to buttered casserole dish. Cover bottom of casserole with 3 homemade or prepared lasagna noodles. Top with a quarter of the cheese and arugula mixture.
Continue layering, ending with cheese and arugula mixture.
Top with remaining 1 cup Pecorino, pine nuts, arugula leaved and sauteed shallots

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes. When you remove foil, if corners look dry, add a little milk to each corner.
Let lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Pancetta & Kale Fettucini

This is the leftover pasta, dried from excess moisture and rolled. You can keep this is the frig for several days.
Sauce Ingredients: chopped kale, pancetta, onions, garlic, EVOO, a little cream, grated pecorino cheese, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Cut your pasta rolls into strips, and have them ready to add to your sauce.
Add a little olive oil to bottom of pan over medium heat. Add chopped pancetta, and cook until pancetta is browned. Add chopped onions and cook until onions become translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute or two, and then add chopped kale and red pepper flakes to taste tossing until kale is wilted. Also add salt and pepper to taste. Finally add a little cream and shredded pecorino, stirring to combine, and melt cheese. Add pasta, toss to combine and ENJOY!!

• 
  

Shrimp Pad Thai

I've been experimenting with recipes new to my palate. Pad Thai is a refreshing, light meal, and is equally delicious with shrimp or chicken. When we're at the coast, it seems foolish not to take advantage of the local shrimp.

We enjoy the bright flavors, and ease of preparation this dish offers. It doesn't hurt that a moderate serving is also calorie friendly.

You can see in the pictures that I've used a recipe straight from my computer. There are step by step tutorial pictures which make the recipes no-fail. This is from one of my favorite food sites, http://www.thehungrymouse.com.

Have all your ingredients ready before beginning. The recipe goes together quickly. Enjoy!

Shrimp Pad Thai

(recipe from http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/pad-thai and adapted by www.thehungrymouse.com )

Yield: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

12oz (350g) flat rice noodles

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 small hot red chile, seeded and finely chopped

9oz (250g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 shallots, finely chopped

4 large eggs, beaten

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

9oz (250g) bean sprouts

4 scallions, white and green parts, sliced

1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

1 lime cut into 4 wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot water to cover for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add 2 tbsp of the oil, then the cilantro and chile. Immediately add the shrimp and stir-fry until the shrimp look opaque around the edges, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the shallots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the eggs and sugar and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until the eggs are scrambled.

4. Stir in the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice. Add the noodles, bean sprouts, and shrimp. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the scallions and ½ cup of the peanuts, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Sprinkle with the remaining peanuts and garnish with lime wedges to serve.