Prawn and Rice Noodle Stir-Fry with Lime
Plump prawns and springy rice noodles tossed in a glossy fish sauce glaze, finished with a squeeze of lime and chopped peanuts. A fast, fresh one-pan dinner that is not spicy.
- Total
- 15 min
- Prep 7 · Cook 8
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Stir-frying
- Savory
- Quick
- Asian
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Boil a small pot of water and pour it over the rice noodles in a heatproof bowl, or drop them into the pot for 3 minutes, just until they bend but still have a little bite. Drain in a colander and set aside.
~3 min
Soaking or briefly boiling rice noodles rehydrates them without overcooking, keeping a springy bite for the stir-fry.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the noodles soak, peel the prawns if needed and pat them dry. Zest half the lime into a small bowl, then squeeze in 1 tbsp lime juice. Stir in the fish sauce, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Roughly chop the peanuts.
~3 min
Zesting before juicing captures citrus oils; patting prawns dry ensures they sear rather than steam.
-
Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook 1 minute per side, until pink and just opaque. Transfer to a plate.
~2 min
High heat sears prawns quickly, developing flavor and preventing rubbery texture from overcooking.
Pat the prawns very dry before they hit the pan; surface moisture steams them instead of searing, and they turn rubbery.
Searing Pat prawns dry and use high heat; cook 1 minute per side until pink and opaque. Overcrowding steams them, making them rubbery.
-
Pour the egg into the hot pan and scramble quickly for 30 seconds, until just set but still soft. Push it to one side of the pan.
~1 min
Quick scrambling over high heat sets the egg softly so it stays tender when tossed with noodles.
-
Add the drained rice noodles and bean sprouts to the pan. Pour in the lime and fish sauce mixture and toss over high heat for 1 minute, until the noodles are glossy and hot. Return the prawns and fold through for 30 seconds.
~1 min
Tossing over high heat evaporates excess liquid, helping the sauce cling glossily to noodles and prawns.
Add the lime juice off the heat at the very end if you want the sharpest citrus note, since high heat mutes it.
Stir-frying Toss constantly over high heat for 1 minute until noodles are glossy and hot. Avoid overcooking or the noodles clump and break.
-
Taste and adjust salt if needed. Slide onto a plate, scatter over the chopped peanuts and serve straight away.
~1 min