Crispy Noodles with Shrimp-and- Snow Peas Sauce

Oriental items are often on the menu at high-quality bistros and cafés. Another hallmark of these more casual restaurants is that finished dishes look like works of art on the plate. See how easy this is to do at home when you have ingredients such as these, plus a few flowers, an Oriental-style serving plate, and a fun pair of chopsticks.

Ingredients :

  Noodles :

•   3/4 pound fresh or dried thin Asian egg noodles or angel-hair pasta
•   1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•   2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
•   1 tablespoon for sauteing
•   1 egg, lightly beaten
•   1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
•   1/2 cup reconstituted Shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped

  Sauce : 

•   2 cups chicken broth
•   2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
•   3 tablespoons soy sauce
•   2 tablespoons Scotch whisky
•   1 teaspoon sugar
•   1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
•   3 tablespoons vegetable oil
•   3 tablespoons minced scallion
•   1 - 1/2 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger root
•   1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 3 pieces each

Directions :

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the noodles until they are al dente. Drain them well, and in a bowl, toss them with the vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, the egg, ginger, and mushrooms. Heat a medium skillet. 

Add the 1 tablespoon of oil for sautéing and then add the noodle mixture. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes without touching. Flip the noodles and continue cooking until the other side is crispy. Slide off onto a serving platter and keep warm.

Place the chicken broth in a medium bowl and stir in the cornstarch, the broth, the soy sauce, the Scotch, the sugar, and the sesame oil. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and stirfry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through.

Transfer the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a sieve set over a bowl to drain.

In the wok, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Then stir-fry the scallion and the minced ginger for 15 seconds. Stir the broth mixture, add it to the wok, and simmer, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and the snow peas and continue to simmer, stirring, for 1 minute or until the shrimp are heated through.

Pour the sauce over the noodles and serve.