Indonesian Fried Noodles

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick for this one:

My little niece, Kelly, went with a neighbor girl to church for First
Communion practice. The pastor has the children cup their hands, and
when he gives them the "Host," in this case, a piece of bread, he says,
"God be with you."

Apparently this made quite an impression on my niece. She came home and
told her mother to cup her hands and bend down. Kelly took a piece of
bread from her sandwich, placed it in her mother's hands, and whispered
in her most angelic voice, "God will get you."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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This is a somewhat "internationalized" version of an Indonesian classic,
but it retains all the flavors and aromas that every Indonesian knows.

Indonesian Fried Noodles (Mie Goreng)

1 lb (450 g) Chinese mein noodles, or vermicelli or linguine
4 Tbs (60 ml) peanut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 2 (to taste) fresh red chile peppers, seeded and diced
2 pork chops, meat removed from bone, trimmed and finely diced
1/2 lb (250 g) shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 cup (250 ml) finely sliced bok choy or green cabbage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbs soy sauce (or to taste)

For the garnish:
Fried onion flakes (recipe follows)
4 spring onions, both green and white parts, finely sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Cook the noodles according to package directions until 'al dente', or
firm to the tooth. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop
the cooking. Set aside. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet
over high heat and fry the onion, garlic, and chile pepper until the
onion is soft and golden. Add the pork and the shrimp and stir until
cooked through. Add the celery, bok choy, salt, and pepper, and stir
for a minute or two. You want the vegetables to be hot but crisp. Add
the cooked noodles and continue stirring until the noodles are heated
through. Add the soy sauce and pile onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with
the fried onion flakes and scallions, and decorate the edge of the plate
with the sliced cucumber. Serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8.

Fried Onion Flakes

In Indonesia these are made by deep frying very thinly sliced shallots,
but an almost identical flavor can be achieved by the following method.

1/4 cup (60 ml) dried onion flakes

Saute the dried onion flakes in a dry saute pan over moderate heat,
stirring frequently, just until they become aromatic and have turned a
light golden brown. These may be kept indefinitely in an airtight container.
Makes 1/4 cup (60 ml).
Received on Wed Oct 1 01:37:56 2008