Fried Crispy Noodles Thai-Style (Mee Krob)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup thin rice vermicelli
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pork
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh shrimp
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic and shallot
• 1 tbsp fermented soybeans (yellow soybean sauce)
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tsp ground dried chillies
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 cake yellow (or white) beancurd (tofu), cut into matchstick-size pieces and fried crisp
• 2 pickled garlic bulbs, thinly sliced
• 1 fresh chilli, thinly sliced
• 3 Chinese chives (gao choy) or green scallion tops
• 2/3 cups (50 grams) fresh bean sprouts
• 3 cups cooking oil (i.e. soybean, corn, safflower, or peanut oil)
• 1 tbsp thinly sliced kaffir lime rind (fresh or dried)

Preparation:

1. If the noodles are very fine, fry in oil until crisp and golden, then drain. If the noodles are thick, soak 15 minutes in water, drain well, and then fry a few at a time.
2. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan or wok. Fry the garlic and shallot until fragrant, then add the pork and shrimp, seasoning with fermented soybeans, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, dried chillies. When thick, add the lime juice. Mix and season to obtain a sweet, sour, and salty flavor.
3. Reduce the heat, add the noodles and continue turning in the sauce until they stick together. Add the beancurd. Mix and spoon onto plates.
4. Sprinkle with the pickled garlic, chile, thinly sliced kaffir lime rind or add coriander leaves more. Place bean sprouts and Chinese chives on the sides of the plates.