Drunken Noodles

I sometimes find making Asian recipes at home a bit frustrating, because they never seem to get the same depth of flavor that they have in a good restaurant. So this particular recipe blew my mind, because it really had that complexity you want from a satisfying noodle dish.

The source of the recipe was a surprise in itself: the cookbook "Cravings", by Chrissy Teigen. I got this book on a whim, and it has proven to be one of the best cookbooks I've seen in a long time. I've already made five or six recipes from it, and they were all a smashing success. The book does have one disadvantage, which is that it has almost no vegetarian recipes. This recipe is no exception, using chicken and oyster sauce in the original version. But here I give you my own vegetarian twist on Chrissy's recipe. Since the original recipe included egg, I decided to just leave it there as my source of protein. But you can also use some tofu seasoned with salt and sesame oil and stir fried in oil until crispy, and either use it with the egg for a vegetarian recipe, or without it for a vegan version.

A Note for the Gluten Free about Whisky: 
Grain alcohols and gluten are a tricky thing. In theory, distilled grain alcohol (like vodka) shouldn't contain any gluten (or at least less than the requisite 20 ppm), due to the distillation process. Nonetheless, some celiacs still say they have reactions to such alcohol. Whisky is even more complicated, because some whisky producers add a bit of the mash back into the product after distillation. For our version of this recipe, we used Jack Daniels bourbon, because they have a very clear and unequivocal Gluten Free statement on their website. However, if you're still concerned about using a grain-based drink, you can replace it with rum or brandy, or just skip the booze altogether.

Drunken Noodles 

Ingredients (for 5-6 satisfying portions): 

 Sauce: 
- 6 tbsp light brown sugar
-  1/2 cup soy sauce (make sure to use GF for a gluten free version)
- 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (again, make sure to use GF)
- 2 tbsp of whisky (see note above)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

For dish: 
- 350 grams/12 oz of rice noodles, preferably the wide kind, softened according to the package instructions 
- 3 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 4 scallions (green onions), chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth

Preparation: 
1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in one bowl.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large wok, add the eggs, and cook, stirring, until just cooked. Set aside in a bowl, and give the wok a quick wipe to clean some of the egg residue.

3.  Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in the wok, and when it begins to smoke, add in the scallions, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 20 seconds. Add the broccoli and broth and cook, stirring, until the broccoli turns a bright green and the broth is mostly gone, about 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the softened noodles and the egg back into the wok, and add the sauce. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring or tossing the mixture, until the noodles are fully cooked, everything is warm, and the sauce thickens.

5. Served, optionally topped with some more scallions.

Enjoy!