Mee Krob (Crisp-Fried Noodles)
Submitted by brigita
Mee Krob: Thai crisp-fried rice noodles tossed in a sweet-sour-salty sauce with pork, chicken, or shrimp, topped with lacy fried egg nets. Crunchy, tangy, showstopping.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minMee Krob is the kind of Thai dish that stops conversation at the table. Rice noodles puff to airy crisps in seconds when they hit hot oil, and the real magic happens when they meet the sauce: a tight, glossy reduction of fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, and brown or palm sugar.
The sweet-sour-salty balance is the whole point. Thai palm sugar adds a caramel depth brown sugar can’t fully copy, but a fifty-fifty blend gets close. Taste the sauce before it hits the noodles and adjust: it should read bright and punchy, not syrupy.
The egg nets are the visual flourish that earn the dish its restaurant reputation. Drizzle beaten egg from eight inches above the oil in thin streams to form a lacy web that crisps golden in seconds.
Built on pork, chicken, shrimp, or all three, the protein cooks fast with onion, garlic, and chile before the sauce and noodles pile in. Fold in batches so every strand gets coated without collapsing the crunch.
Chef Tips
- Fry noodles in very small batches. A handful at a time puffs evenly; a big pile sinks and turns chewy.
- Add noodles to the sauced pan last and toss fast. Sitting in sauce turns crisp to soggy in minutes.
- Serve immediately. Mee Krob doesn’t hold, and reheating is not an option.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, and sugar and set aside.
In a wok or deep skillet, heat oil to 350℉ (180℃). Drop approximately an ounce of rice sticks into the oil; they will puff up and rise to the top of the oil in only a few seconds. Turn them over once and fry until crisp, about 15 seconds in all. Transfer finished noodles to a pan lined with paper towels and continue frying the batter in small batches. Keep noodles warm in a low oven.
Dip a hand in the beaten egg and, holding your hand approximately 8 inches above the hot oil, drizzle egg over the surface in a random pattern. Continue with about half the egg mixture, forming a lacy network of egg. Fry until golden brown on underside, turn over once, and brown other side. Transfer to a plate and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining egg.
Heat a second wok over medium high heat and add approximately 2 tablespoons oil from the first wok. Add onion, garlic, and chile and cook until they are fragrant. Add meats or shrimp and stir-fry just until done.
Stir sugar mixture and add to wok. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low and add about a quarter of the fried noodles and eggs. Stir together and toss to break up noodle clumps and coat with sauce. Continue adding noodles and eggs in batches until all are coated with sauce. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with sliced green onion.
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