Name: Stir-fried beef and gai lan with rice noodles
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300 gm thin dried rice noodles; 1½ tbsp dark soy sauce; 1½ tbsp fish sauce; 2 tsp rice wine vinegar; 2 tsp grated palm sugar; 80 ml (⅓ cup) peanut oil or other neutral oil; 400 gm trimmed beef fillet, thinly sliced; 3-4 birdseye chillies, to taste, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), stems finely chopped and leaves torn; Crushed roasted peanuts and lime wedges, to serve

Stir-fried beef and gai lan with rice noodles

Why order in when you can whip up Thai-style noodles in half the time?

Serves 4

Prep

10M

Cook

15M

Total

25M

We’ve used dried noodles in this riff on the Thai takeaway favourite, pad see ew, but fresh rice noodles will make this meal even faster to prepare. Stir-fry a couple of beaten eggs with the noodles during the final step for a little extra heft.

Ingredients

300 gm thin dried rice noodles

1½ tbsp dark soy sauce

1½ tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp grated palm sugar

80 ml (⅓ cup) peanut oil or other neutral oil

400 gm trimmed beef fillet, thinly sliced

3-4 birdseye chillies, to taste, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), stems finely chopped and leaves torn

Crushed roasted peanuts and lime wedges, to serve

Method

1.Place noodles in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, stand until soft (10-15 minutes), then drain. Meanwhile, whisk soy and fish sauces, vinegar, palm sugar and 1½ tbsp water in a small bowl to combine.

2.Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat, add half the beef and stir-fry until browned (1-2 minutes). Transfer to a plate and repeat with another 1 tbsp oil and remaining beef.

3.Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok, add chilli, garlic and gai lan stems, stir-fry until softened (2-3 minutes), then add gai lan leaves and stir-fry until just wilted (1 minute). Transfer to plate with beef.

4.Heat remaining oil in wok. Add noodles and fry, without stirring, until beginning to crisp (1-2 minutes). Add sauce and stir-fry to coat, and until sauce reduces slightly (1 minute). Add beef and gai lan, toss to combine, top with peanuts and serve with wedges of lime.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Styling by Kirsten Bookallil