Beef and Broccoli noodles

225g wide dried rice noodles
450g Chinese or ordinary broccoli
450g lean beef steak
2tsp, plus 1tbsp light soy sauce
1tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1tsp sesame oil
1tsp cornflour
3tbsp groundnut oil
2 eggs, beaten
2tbsp fish sauce
1tsp sugar
1tsp chilli flakes or powder
3tbsp oyster sauce
Garnish:
1tbsp ground nut oil
3tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
3tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of warm water for 20 min. Drain them in a colander or sieve.
If you are using Chinese broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces. If you are using ordinary broccoli, separate the florets and peel and thinly slice the stems on the diagonal. Blanch the broccoli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3 min, then drain and plunge into cold water. Drain thoroughly.
Put the beef into the freezer compartment or the refrigerator for 20 min. This will allow the meat to harden a little for easy cutting. Then cut into thin slices 1.5 inches long. Put the beef slices into a bowl and add the 2 tsp soy sauce, the rice wine, sesame oil, and cornflour. Mix well and let marinate for 20 min.
Heat a wok or a large frying pan over high heat until it is hot. Add the groundnut oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the beef and stir fry for about 2 min. Remove the meat and drain it in a stainless steel colander set inside a bowl, leaving about 1tbsp of oil in the wok.
Reheat the wok, add the noodles and the broccoli and stir fry for 2 min. Then add the eggs, the remaining soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and chili flakes, and continue to stir fry for 3 min. Then add the beef and oyster sauce, mix well and stir fry for 2 min more. Turn the mixture onto a warm platter, wipe the wok clean and reheat until hot. Add 1tbsp of oil and stir fry the garlic until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle the garlic on top of the noodles together with the peanuts. Serve at once.

This is a Thai take on a classic Chinese dish from Ken Hom Cooks Thai.

I liked the trick about putting the meat in the freezer for 20 min. It worked like a charm, it was really easy to cut.

The marinade doesn’t have to work long, but it really does make a difference to the flavor of the meat. We don’t eat beef too terribly often, and all through dinner my youngest kept saying “I love the brown chicken, can I have more brown chicken please”. Needless to say, this was a big winner, clean plates all around.

All that and quick and easy to make. Thanks again Ken Hom!