CHOW FUN WITH CHINESE BARBECUED PORK AND SNOW PEAS (for four)

14 ounces fresh rice noodles, cut into ½ inch wide strips if necessary

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon peanut oil

¾ cup chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium broth

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or sake

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ pound snow peas, trimmed

4 scallions, cut into thin 2 inch long strips

6 ounces char siu (Chinese barbecued pork), thinly sliced (Chinese markets may have this already prepared.  If you can’t find it, a recipe follows.)

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

½ teaspoon cornstarch, stirred together with 2 teaspoons water

½ cup bean sprouts, rinsed and dried

a few drops of Asian sesame oil

freshly ground black pepper

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1.  Separate noodles, then toss with 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a bowl.

2.  Stir together ½ cup stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine and sugar in a small bowl.

3.  Heat a wok (or a large deep skillet) over high heat until a bead of water dropped onto cooking surface evaporates immediately. Add remaining ¼ cup peanut oil, swirl to coat evenly, and heat until it just begins to smoke.  Add noodles and stir-fry, tossing frequently, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes (noodles will stick together).  Add snow peas and scallions and stir-fry until snow peas are bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute.  Add pork, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute.

4.  Add stock mixture and bring to a boil, stirring, then add remaining ¼ cup stock.  When mixture boils, stir cornstarch mixture and add to wok, then boil, stirring, until sauce is thickened and noodles are well coated, about 30 seconds.  Stir in bean sprouts and remove wok from heat.  Season with sesame oil and pepper to taste.

from The Gourmet Cookbook