Out of the frying pan …An easy way to make crisp-tender Asian noodle pillows - Step-by-Step

Sunset, April, 2004 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Chinese cooks often fry bundles of cooked wheat noodles--mein--in hot oil to create crisp-chewy beds for stir-fries. You can achieve the same effect without the mess of frying by coating the noodles with a little oil and crisping them up in the oven. While the noodle pillows bake, quickly stir-fry shrimp and asparagus in a gingery sauce, then combine the elements for delicious contrasts of flavor and texture. It's a quick, interesting dinner the whole family will love.

Asparagus and Shrimp Stir-Fry on Noodle Pillows

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 40 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: Prepare the ingredients for this stir-fry while the noodle pillows bake; cook the mixture (step 2) just before the pillows are done.

  1 1/2  pounds asparagus, rinsed
  1 1/2  cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
  2      tablespoons soy sauce
  2      tablespoons cornstarch
   1/4   teaspoon white pepper
  1      tablespoon vegetable oil
  2      tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  2      cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  1      pound shelled, deveined shrimp (31 to 40 per lb.), rinsed Salt
  4      noodle pillows (recipe at right)

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1. Snap tough stem ends off asparagus. Cut spears at a 45[degrees] angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. In a small bowl, mix broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and white pepper.

2. Set a 14-inch work or 12-inch frying pan over high heat. When hot, add oil, ginger, and garlic; stir until garlic begins to turn golden, about 30 seconds. Stir in asparagus and add 3 tablespoons water; cover and cook just until asparagus is bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp and stir, uncovered, until they are opaque in center of thickest part (cut to test), 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Stir broth mixture and add to pan; stir until sauce boils and thickens. Add salt to taste.

4. Set a noodle pillow on each of four dinner plates. Spoon shrimp and asparagus stir-fry equally over noodle pillows.

Per serving: 594 cal., 21% (126 cal.) from fat; 42 g protein; 14 g fat (2 g sat.); 75 g carbo (3.5 g fiber); 720 mg sodium; 173 mg chol.

Making noodle pillows

1 In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add 12 ounces dried thin Asian wheat noodles or dried vermicelli pasta and stir to separate. Cook until barely tender to bite, 3 to 7 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Mix in 2 tables poons Asian sesame oil and salt to taste.

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2 Divide noodles into four equal portions; set each mound about 2 inches apart on two 10- by 15-inch nonstick baking pans. Pat each into a 1/2-inch-thick round.

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3 Bake pillows in a 425[degrees] oven until most of surface is crisp and browned, 15 to 20 minutes (switch pan positions halfway through baking). Serve hot.