Mì Xào Tỏi (Garlic Noodle)

It seems that I have not been able to part from my laptop since I resumed blogging. There are so many delicious dishes that I want to share with everyone. One of my favorite dishes that I like to serve on holidays or parties is this flavorful buttery noodle with ample amount of garlic. Fragrant garlic sauteed with butter filled my kitchen with the smell of an Italian restaurant. It didn't last that long once I added soy sauce however.

Garlic noodle is quick and easy to prepare. When crab season comes around, we usually have crab feast and I would make a huge serving plate of garlic noodle to fill everyone's tummy.

Before taking on this role as a "Domestic Engineer", I worked in downtown Sacramento. During lunch time, my coworker and I often strolled to a nearby noodle shop to buy fresh egg noodle. It is a small shop that supplies a variety of egg noodle, produced by one elderly Chinese man standing on his feet all day turning out these wonderful egg noodle. Now, it's a bit of a drive for me to get to downtown so I often make garlic noodle using dried spaghetti noodle from a bag instead. Though the size of spaghetti noodle is smaller than the size of the egg noodle and the texture is quite different, they both taste yummy. However, I would prefer the thick egg noodle for this garlic noodles dish.

Today, I made garlic noodle tossed with shrimps for the girls to enjoy after school. They love eating the garlic noodle not just for the savor and flavor but it's fun for them to slurp each string of noodle. It also gives their lips a lovely natural glossy sheen and a wonderful after taste with each licking of their lips!

RECIPE: Mì Xào Tỏi (Garlic Noodle)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bag (14 oz each) thick Egg Noodle or

1 lb Spaghetti Noodle

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Europe Maggie Soy Sauce

1/2 stick of Butter

1/4 cup finely chopped Garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro

1 lb large Shrimp, shelled and deveined, tail-on
about 1/4 cups Parmesan Cheese, optional

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Cooking Noodle

The preferred way to cook spaghetti noodle is 'al dente' - pasta that is cooked just long enough that it is neither crunchy nor soft. There are three choices for done-ness: Al dente, firm and soft. If used spaghetti noodle for this recipe, cook until it's soft. Drain, do not rinse, and set aside.

If used egg noodle, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the noodle into the boiling water and cook the noodle unitl al dente (cooked just enough to retain a somewhat firm texture). Don't overcook as the noodle will become soggy. Rinse noodle under cold water. Drain and set aside.

Preparing Sauce

Combine soy sauce and brown sugar and mix well. Set aside.

Stir Frying Shrimps

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet on high heat and sear the shrimps about a minute on each side or until shrimps turn pink and edges begin to brown. Remove and set aside.

Stir Frying Noodle

Bring the same frying pan on medium heat, add the butter and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add the sauce and give it a quick stir. Avoid cooking the sauce too long to prevent evaporation which could lead to a saltier sauce.

Add noodle and quickly toss the noodle to coat with the sauce for about a minute. It also tastes wonderful with Parmesan cheese, so toss in some Parmesan cheese and mix well, if desired. Add the shrimps and cilantro. Mix well.