Crispy Fried Rice Vermicelli
Mee krob is usually served at celebration meals. It is a crisp tangle of fried rice vermicelli, which is tossed in a piquant garlic, sweet and sour sauce.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 175g / 6oz rice vermicelli
- 15ml / 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 4-6 small dried red chillies
- 30mI / 2 tbsp chopped shallots
- 15ml / 1 tbsp dried shrimps, rinsed
- 115g / 4oz minced pork
- 115g / 4oz raw peeled prawns, thawed if frozen, chopped
- 30ml / 2 tbsp brown bean sauce
- 30ml / 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 45ml / 3 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
- 75g / 3oz palm sugar
- 30ml / 2 tbsp tamarind juice or lime juice
- 115g / 4oz / 2 cups beansprouts
For the garnish:
- 2 spring onions, shredded
- 30mI / 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
- 2-egg omelette, rolled and sliced
- 2 fresh red chillies, seeded and cut into thin strips
Preparation
 |  |  |  |  |  |
- Heat the oil in a wok. Cut or break the rice vermicelli into small handfuls about 7.5cm / 3in long. Deep fry these for a few seconds in the hot oil until they puff up. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Ladle off all but 30ml / 2 tbsp of the oil, pouring it into a pan and setting aside to cool. Reheat the oil in the wok and fry the garlic, chillies, shallots and shrimps for about 1 minute.
- Add the pork and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Add the prawns and fry for 2 minutes. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the brown bean sauce, vinegar, nam pla (fish sauce) and sugar. Heat gently, stirring in any sediment. Bring to a gentle boil, stir to dissolve the sugar and cook until thick and syrupy.
- Add the tamarind or lime juice to the sauce and adjust the seasoning as necessary. The sauce should be sweet, sour and salty. Lower the heat, then return the pork and prawn mixture to the wok, add the beansprouts and stir them into the sauce.
- Add the fried rice noodles to the wok and toss gently to coat them with the sauce without breaking them up too much. Transfer the mixture to a large, warm serving platter or individual serving dishes. Garnish with the shredded spring onions, coriander leaves, omelette strips and fresh red chillies and serve immediately.
COOK'S TIP
Always deep fry rice vermicelli in small quantities, as it puffs up to two or three times its original volume. It cooks in seconds, so be ready to remove from the wok using a slotted spoon or wire basket as soon as it is puffy and before it takes on any colour.
VARIATION
Pickled garlic can also be used as one of the garnish ingredients. Thai garlic is smaller than European garlic; the heads are pickled whole, in sweet and sour brine.
Serves 4-6.