Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) with Chicken
Spicy, savory drunken noodles (Pad Kee Mao) with tender chicken, blistered gai lan, Thai basil, and wide rice noodles coated in a bold, intensely flavorful wok sauce.
Equipment
- Wok - While you CAN make this in a large nonstick, I highly recommend using a wok if you have it
Ingredients
- 175 g dried wide rice noodles
- 225 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 g salt
- 175 g gai lan, (or broccolini)
- 20 g neutral oil, divided
- 30 g garlic, large minced
- 75 g shallot, thinly sliced
- 5 g Thai chile, roughly chopped
- 15 g scallion tops
- 10 g Thai basil leaves
- 75 g oyster sauce
- 10 g brown sugar
- 50 g water or stock
- 20 g fish sauce
- 20 g soy sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (enough to cover noodles)
- Cut chicken thighs into quarters. Cut each quarter into approximately 1/4" slices. Toss with salt, and set aside.
- Pour the boiling water over wide dried rice noodles and soak for 15 minutes. After 1 minute, cut the noodles in half with kitchen shears and stir gently to separate and prevent sticking.
- Prep the aromatics by large-mincing garlic, slicing shallot (or red onion), chopping Thai chiles, cutting shallot tops into 1-2" pieces, & picking basil leaves
- To prep the gai lan (Chinese broccoli), cut off the dry/hard bottom tip of of the stem. Cut in half to separate the greens from the rest of the stem. Rough chop greens and slice green stem in half lengthwise, then slice on a bias.
- Make the sauce by combining oyster sauce, brown sugar, water, fish sauce, and soy sauce
- Drain the noodles and gently rinse under cold water until no longer hot
- Heat a wok over high. Add half of the neutral oil, gai lan, and a pinch of salt. Leave undisturbed for 30 seconds, then stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until deeply green and about 80% cooked. Transfer to a bowl.
- Wipe the wok with damp paper towel and return it to high heat. Add the remaining neutral oil, followed by the chicken. Leave it undisturbed for 30 to 60 seconds until the edges brown, then stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until roughly 85% cooked.
- Add the garlic, shallot, & Thai chiles. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted and beginning to color
- Return the cooked gai lan to the wok and toss it with the chicken. Add the drained soaked noodles, then pour the sauce around the hot edges of the wok. Reduce for 30 to 45 seconds without stirring the noodles, then gently combine until the sauce clings to them.
- Off heat add scallion tops and Thai basil. Stir vigorously until the noodles break into clean, scoopable, 2-3-inch lengths. Plate immediately and garnish with additional basil and green onion.
While the noodles soak, prep the aromatics, chop the gai lan, and make the wok sauce
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