Pad Kee Mao with Prawns

How this spicy prawn and noodle dish with its enticing flavors of basil, soy sauce and onions made it way into my consciousness is completely lost to me, but what I do recall is how utterly delicious it is!

I had forgotten how delicious is the taste of fresh basil in soy sauce! if you haven't had that before, try it now! There was a dish that I always got at the only Chinese restaurant in the dismal Indiana town where I went to graduate school - three flavor prawns - and it was sliced ginger, garlic and basil stir fried with prawns. That's it! It was pure ecstasy in your mouth and it was always what was on my plate at The Great Wall. If you're ever in that area, make sure you ask for the Chinese menu! That's where all the good stuff is!

Pad Kee Mao with Prawns (adapted from The New York Times recipe)
(serves 2-3)

4 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 serranos, deseeded and minced
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 small onion, diced
12 prawns, deshelled and deveined, sliced in half through vein area
8 oz dried rice noodles (I used pad thai style noodles) soaked in water for at least 20 minutes
10-12 basil leaves, cut into ribbons

Combine fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar and stir well to combined. Heat a wok over high heat until it smokes. Add oil and heat until it smokes, add garlic, onion and serranos and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain noodles. Add prawns to pan and cook until almost done, somewhat pink but not done. Add noodles and swirl to coat and add sauce and cook tossing well until noodles have absorbed sauce and prawns finish cooking, about 2-3 minutes. Add basil and toss well. Serve immediately.

Hugs!