INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken & Marinade:

2 tablespoons water

12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breast, thinly sliced)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

For the Rest of the Dish:

8 ounces wide dried rice noodles (or, if using fresh noodles, 16 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

2 teaspoons soy sauce (Thai soy sauce preferred, but any soy sauce will do)

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

Pinch ground white pepper

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, sliced

¼ teaspoon fresh grated ginger

2 oz carrots, julienned

2 shallots, sliced, about 1/3 cup

1 scallion, julienned into 3-inch pieces

4 Thai red chili peppers, deseeded and julienned or chopped

5 to 6 pieces baby corn, split in half (optional)

2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine

1 cup Holy basil or Thai basil, loosely packed

INSTRUCTIONS

Note: Some recipes direct you to cook this in two batches so that the noodles may get a slight char. I prefer it this way, but you do not have to.

Prepare the Chicken:

Work the 2 tablespoons of water into the sliced chicken with your hands until the chicken absorbs the liquid. Add the cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce, and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside for 20 minutes.

For Dried Noodles:

Soak the noodles in hot tap water for 20 minutes, or quickly boil them until al dente, then rinse under cold water. (Use the cook time directions on the rice noodle package as a guide.)

For Fresh Noodles:

(Directions from Hot Thai Kitchen)

Separate the rice noodles from each other. If they are cold, hard, and stuck together, you need to heat them up until soft, or they will break when you try to

separate them. Carefully divide the noodles into 3-4 smaller bundles and spread them out onto a large plate. Microwave at 70% power, stopping every minute to move the noodles around for more even heating. Once they are soft, pull the noodles apart and divide them into portions.

Prepare the Sauce:

Stir together the dissolved brown sugar mixture, soy sauces, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and white pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the Dish:

Heat your wok until it’s close to smoking. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Add the chicken and let it sear for 1 minute on each side until it’s about 90% cooked. Remove from the wok and set aside. 

If the heat was high enough and you seared the meat correctly, your wok should still be clean with nothing sticking to it. If not, wash the wok to prevent the rice noodles from sticking.

Continue with the wok on high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic and grated ginger.

After a few seconds, add the julienned carrots and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Then add the shallots and stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Add the scallions, chilies, baby corn, and Shaoxing wine. Stir-fry for another 20 seconds and add the rice noodles. Using a scooping motion, mix everything for another minute until the noodles warm up.

Next, add the prepared sauce mixture and stir-fry at the highest heat for about 1 minute until the noodles are uniform in color. Use your metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the wok to prevent sticking.

Add the basil and seared chicken, and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve!