Mekong Stir-Fried Seafood and Pork Noodles

Mekong Stir-Fried Egg Noodles with Seafood

While floating down the Mekong on our sampan, the Violet, we were treated to delicious fresh local fruit, jasmine tea and tasty Vietnamese dishes, courtesy of our stalwart steward, Lan. 

Mekong Jackfruit which tastes a bit like banana

One of our lunches on board featured a very yummy noodle dish with mixed seafood and seasonal Mekong vegetables. If that weren't enough, a lovely steaming plate of Mixed Vegetables with Prawns and Pork arrived, followed by a platter of sweet young Jackfruit. Lan knew that I wanted to try as many traditional Vietnamese fruits as possible, and even produced a spiky Durian, notorious for it's horrible smell which some say is like gym socks. It wasn't that bad actually, with white flesh and a very soft texture, it tasted more like rotten onions. As the day progressed however, the Durian became even more pungent and offensive. Even Lan didn't object when I tossed it overboard!

Mekong Seafood and Pork Noodles

Serves 2-4

For the sauce:

1 1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, sliced

1 teaspoon sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

For the stir fry:

3/4 lb shrimp

3/4 lb pork, thinly sliced

1/4 lb cleaned squid, sliced into 1" strips

6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms

2 carrots, julienned

2 cups baby bok choy

1 cup broccoli florets, sliced into small pieces

1lb fresh egg noodles, boiled 1 minute then drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp canola oil

Bring the stock, ginger and lemongrass to a boil, until it's reduced to 1 cup. Strain out the solids. Stir in the soy sauce and sugar then whisk in the cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Quickly stir fry the garlic then add the carrot, mushrooms, and broccoli. Stir fry until the broccoli is al dente. Push the vegetables to one side of the wok, then add the sliced pork into the empty space. Stir fry 2 minutes, then add the shrimp and squid. Cook until the shrimp and squid are almost completely cooked through, then add the noodles and sauce. Stir fry until the noodles are soft and the sauce is mostly absorbed. Serve hot with a nice cold beer.

Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables with Shrimp and Pork