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May 12, 2016 7:50 PM CST
Falls Church, VA
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Francine’s fried rice noodles--there are lots of recipes on the Internet, but this is how I made mine.

As with the other recipes, it looks harder to make when you see it in writing, than when it is really being made. Some recipes of fried rice noodles tell you to soak the noodles in boiling water. I do not like that, because then the noodles will break into small pieces and taste 'wet'.

I use a 14" steel wok (not stainless steel)--and natural gas heat--not electric stove top

1 package of the rice noodles soaked in cold tap water (I used the finest noodles, either Chinese, Thai, or Indonesian made)
1 bunch of green onions, clean and cut into 1 ½ inches, separate in piles the white from the green parts)
1 plant of Chinese celery, or 2 stems of regular celery, cut them in juliennes, 1 ½ inches long (Chinese celery does not have to be julienned.
2 small carrots, julienned x 1 ½ inches long (optional, for color)--I forgot to buy, so I did not use them
1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed or cut finely
1 head of a small green or white cabbage, slice about ½-⅓ inch wide
3 small onions-peel and cut into 8 wedges each
3 handfuls of mung/green bean sprouts
3 eggs
About 3 tablespoons of oil (I used peanut oil) plus 1-2 tablespoons oil when the eggs are going to be added.

About 3 tablespoons each of fish sauce, Chinese light soy sauce, and Indonesian sweet soy sauce each

3 teaspoons of black pepper
1 small package (I think it is 1 teaspoon) of raw sugar--this is my 'MSG'

Instructions:

Before preparing the vegetables, soak the rice noodles in cold water from the faucet. If you use shrimp and/or meat, prepare them and marinade them each in different bowls
Prepare all the vegetables (washing them and cutting, peeling, crushing), and put them in separate piles, or containers/bowls. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork just to loosen the egg whites and yolks together. Put aside. I never really measured the sauces, I just pour them out of the bottles ( 2 rounds each).

I use a 14 inch wok, a flat spatula and tongs to mix the long strands of noodles.

Put the wok on the stove, turn on the heat on high. When the wok is hot, add the 3 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, shimmering, add the onions and stir to separate the wedges. When the onions become translucent, add the white parts of the spring onions and the crushed garlic. Stir until the garlic became fragrant, do not let them burn. Then add the cabbage, the rest of the green onions and the celery, stir once or twice, then grab with both hands the softened rice noodles from the water (do not drain), dripping with the water clinging on the noodles, into the wok. Stir once or twice, so the vegetables at the bottom of the wok do not get burned, and get them distributed and moved to the top. Then swirl the Chinese soy sauce and the fish sauce onto the hot top part of the wok that is not covered by the noodles and vegetables (I poured 2 rounds of each fish sauce and light soy sauce), so they sizzle when they come in contact with the hot steel. And pour the Indonesian sauce on the noodles.
Add the pepper, sugar, and now you can lower the heat to medium and stir everything, making sure that the noodles come in contact with the top part of the wok, until all the sauces, and pepper are evenly distributed. If the noodles seem to be dry and the noodles are not cooked yet, add some water, mix with the spatula in one hand, and helped with the other hand using the tongs to lift and distribute the sauces with the noodles. If it is too difficult to handle the long noodles, you can cut the noodles in 3 parts randomly, while in the wok.
Taste the noodles, adjust to your taste, if the color of the noodles is all right to your taste, but it is not salty enough, you can add salt. Then move the noodles away from the bottom of the wok (if it is too full, you can move part of the noodles to a container), add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in the cleared space, and pour all the 3 eggs into the hot oil. Scramble the eggs, breaking them into small pieces and then mix them with the noodles, the eggs don't have to be fully cooked. Now add the 3 handfuls of beansprouts and when they changed color, become translucent, but still look fresh and crunchy, turn off the heat. Scope them all into a dish or spaghetti platter. Scatter some bought fried shallots over the fried noodles if you like. Alternatively, you can also make very thin egg crepes cut into strips to scatter on the noodles. In Indonesia, people add hot pepper to taste when they eat it. The noodles does not have to be served hot, They are tasty at room temperature too.

For 2 persons, 1/2 or 1/3, or 1/4 of the rice noodle package is plenty, just use 1/2 or 1/3, or 1/4 of the recipe. You can also add shrimp, thin-sliced chicken meat, or pork. Cook them separately, after first marinating the cleaned shrimp, and sliced meat with a little Chinese soy sauce and a little starch, and Chinese cooking wine. If you use them, prepare them before you prepare the vegetables, so they have time to absorb the marinade. Just use a tiny bit starch, they should not be visible, when you are cooking them. Stir fry them each separately, put them aside in one container, and add them when you add the bean sprouts.

Please let me know if you something is not clear.

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