Equipment
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 65 g creamy peanut butter, room temperature
- 45 ml tamari or gluten-free soy sauce
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml honey
- 10 ml sriracha sauce
- 10 ml sesame oil, toasted
- 2 garlic, minced
- 45 ml warm water
Noodles and Stir-Fry
- 200 g medium rice noodles
- 15 ml neutral cooking oil
- 300 g raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 100 g carrots, julienned
- 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 30 g crushed roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, honey, sriracha, sesame oil, minced garlic, and warm water. Whisk vigorously until the sauce is completely smooth and emulsified. Set aside.
Bring water to a boil in the large wok to save using an extra pot. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package directions until tender but still chewy. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse briefly with cold water to stop the cooking process, and set aside. Wipe the wok dry.
Heat the cooking oil in the dry wok over medium-high heat. Add the raw shrimp in a single layer. Thoroughly wash your hands and any surfaces that contacted the raw seafood to prevent cross-contamination. Sear the shrimp until they turn pink and opaque throughout, reaching a safe internal temperature of 63°C/145°F. Remove the shrimp from the wok and set aside.
In the same wok, add the sliced bell pepper, julienned carrots, and the white parts of the green onions. Sauté for two minutes until the vegetables soften slightly but retain a crisp texture.
Reduce the heat to low. Return the cooked shrimp and the drained rice noodles to the wok with the vegetables. Pour the prepared peanut sauce over the top. Use tongs to gently toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly coated and the dish is heated through.
Remove the wok from the heat. Divide the noodles among serving bowls and garnish with the green parts of the green onions and crushed roasted peanuts if using. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Topping the finished dish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before eating significantly brightens the heavy, rich profile of the peanut sauce.
- If your peanut butter contains added sugars, taste your sauce before adding the full amount of honey to prevent it from becoming overly sweet.
- Do not overcook the shrimp in the initial sear. Because they return to the hot wok with the noodles and sauce, leaving them very slightly underdone initially ensures perfectly tender shrimp in the final dish.
- For enhanced aroma, you can gently fry the minced garlic and ginger in the hot oil for 15 seconds before adding the shrimp, rather than keeping them raw in the sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The noodles will absorb the sauce and firm up as they cool.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of warm water to help loosen and re-emulsify the peanut sauce.
