Lad Na

Almost every Thai restaurant I have eaten in has a variation of this savory noodle dish. You may see it spelled many different ways ranging from Lard Na to Lad Nah, however it is spelled it is good eats. Lad Na is another Thai dish that echos the Chinese influence on their cuisine.

Protein and vegetables in a silky sauce merged with thick dumpling style rice noodles. The textures are important. Crisp vegetables, and stir-fried noodles that are crispy on the outside but succulent and chewy on the inside. The noodles should have a slightly smokey flavor complimenting the sweetness of the oyster flavored sauce. It is a good choice for people who fear the fiery side of Thai cooking.

As with many recipes there is much flexibility in ingredients. You can make the dish with almost any protein choice, including pre-fried extra firm tofu making it a dish vegetarians can eat. The same goes for the mushrooms, I have eaten it made with Shitake, Crimini, or common white button mushrooms.

Preparation is simple and the cooking time is short. Just remember to do your mise en place so you can cook the dish in a timely manner and not juggle preparing ingredients for you need to add quickly. Stir-frying is a very time sensitive technique, so good prep work is critical.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup thick Rice Noodles (soaked in water)
• ½ Pound of your choice of Protein choice, Boneless Chicken, Beef, or Pork works best
• ¼ lb Sliced broccoli
• ¼ lb fresh mushrooms
• 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• 1 Teaspoons Oyster sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Thin soy sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Fish sauce
• 1½ Teaspoons Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Minced garlic
• 4 Tablespoon Peanut oil
• ½ Cup Water
• ½Teaspoon Pickled chili for garnish

Mise En Place

1. Soak rice noodle in a warm water for 15 minutes. Drain. Set aside
2. Break the broccoli into individual branches and slice the broccoli stalks into thin pieces.
3. Soak them in cold water for 15 minutes
4. Slice the mushrooms thinly
5. Slice the protein thinly into 1" strips.
6. Combine the corn starch with the water and make a slurry, stir well to get rid of any lumps

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoon of oil and brown minced garlic to light brown.
2. Add soak rice noodle and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Remove and reserve them for later.
3. Heat the remaining amount of oil.
4. Add the sliced protein, broccoli and mushrooms.
5. Stir-fry for approximately 3 minutes.
6. Add cornstarch slurry and bring it to a gentle boil.
7. Add oyster sauce and fish sauce, sugar, stir until the sauce thickens.
8. Add the rice noodles and toss to warm and coat them in the sauce.
9. Transfer the Lad Na to a serving plate.
10. Garnish with the pickled chili. (optional)
11. Serve Immediately

Yields 2 servings