March 14 cannot get here soon enough. I’m ready to spring forward and leave the cold weather behind. And hopefully I’ll be able to use some vacation days to take a short road trip soon.
It’s been years since I’ve trekked down to SoCal. But I still recall a dish I enjoyed the last time I was there: Singapore-style stir-fried vermicelli at Vegas Seafood Buffet (which is temporarily closed). This is a riff on it.
My Singapore noodles aren’t authentic, but they are delicious. The recipe features bacon in lieu of char siu and Blue Mountain Country Jamaican curry powder. Think of it as fusion comfort food.
Like fried rice, Singapore noodles are quick to prepare and can feed a crowd if you double or triple the quantity. Feel free to change up the vegetables to suit your mood. Thinly sliced cabbage, carrots and snow peas would be good add-ins.
Recipe adapted from RecipeTin Eats.
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2½ teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 4 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
- 8 ounces bacon, cut into lardons
- 12 shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 3 dried red chiles
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced crosswise (remove seeds for a milder dish)
- thinly sliced green onions (optional, for garnish)
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Soak rice vermicelli noodles in warm water until pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large fry pan, cook bacon on medium heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, 6-8 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and set aside on paper towels to drain.
- Add shrimp to pan and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until opaque in the center. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add eggs to pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until set, 1-2 minutes. Transfer the egg "pancake" to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut the pancake in half and then into ½"-wide strips. Set aside.
- Add canola oil to pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and dried red chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add drained rice vermicelli noodles and sauce and stir to combine. Fold in the cooked bacon and shrimp, sliced eggs, and serrano pepper and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with green onions, if using, and serve immediately.
