Pad Woon Sen (Stir-Fried Glass Noodles)

Ingredients

• 200 g dried wun sen (mung bean glass noodles), soaked in cold water 15–20 minutes, drained
• 200 g pork or chicken, sliced thin
• 2 eggs
• 150 g tomatoes, quartered
• 3 celery stalks, sliced on the bias
• 3 spring onions, cut into short lengths
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 30 ml oyster sauce
• 15 ml fish sauce
• 60 ml water, added to the wok with the sauces
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 30 ml neutral oil

Method

1. 1
   Soak the dried wun sen in cold water for 15–20 minutes, using cold rather than hot water so the noodles hydrate slowly and stay firm enough to survive the wok without turning to paste. They are ready when fully pliable and translucent throughout. Drain well before use; the noodles may soak up to 30 minutes without textural damage.
2. 2
   Set a wok over high — not maximum — heat, so the surface is hot enough to fry but not so fierce it incinerates the garlic before it colours. Add the oil, and when it shimmers, add the garlic and stir continuously for 15 seconds until fragrant but not coloured.
3. 3
   Add the sliced protein and stir-fry constantly, moving it across the full surface of the wok so every piece meets the heat evenly and cooks through quickly. Cook until there is no remaining pink.
4. 4
   Add the quartered tomatoes and bias-cut celery and stir-fry for 1 minute, so the tomatoes begin to soften and release their liquid into the wok — that liquid will later help the noodles absorb the sauce without seizing on a dry surface. The celery should still carry a little crunch at this stage.
5. 5
   Add the drained glass noodles, then pour over the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and water, tossing immediately so the noodles are coated before the liquid hits the hot wok floor and evaporates. This is where the dish lives or dies: stir continuously for 2–3 minutes and watch closely — the wok will appear dry and the noodles will turn from white-opaque to glossy and translucent as they absorb the sauce, and continued heat even a moment after that point scorches them rapidly, so remove the wok from the heat the instant the transformation is complete.
6. 6
   Clear a space at the centre of the wok and add the eggs, scrambling briefly in that space so they begin to set as loose, soft curds before the noodles touch them. Fold the eggs through the noodles before they set fully, so they bind in ribbons throughout rather than clumping in one place.
7. 7
   Add the spring onion and white pepper and toss once to combine. Taste: the noodles should be deeply seasoned, glossy, and cohesive. Serve immediately.