Blue Ginger’s shrimp curried noodles
I am someone who collects cook books. You can frequently find me in the book section of Winners with a big goofy grin on my face, picking up Williams-Sonoma books at half off. I have a lot of them, so it means something when I say that my current cookbook obsession is undeniably Chef Ming Tsai’s Blue Ginger. Ming Tsai is the owner of the very famous Blue Ginger restaurant located just outside Boston. Although I haven’t made it to his kitchen, I have been enjoying making my way through his entire book of recipes based on the ones he uses in his restaurant. Each one turns out incredibly delicious and well-balanced given the number of ingredients – the instructions are spot on! I wanted to share my favourite so far, the shrimp curried noodles pictured below – S
Adapted from ‘Blue Ginger’ by Ming Tsai and Arthur Boehm
Serves 2 to 4
1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas
1/2 pound shanghai noodles (very thin rice noodle)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup curry paste (recipe below)
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1/2 pound rock shrimp, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped chinese chives or regular chives (I used regular chives)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned
2 heads bok choy, well cleaned and julienned
1. Fill a large bowl with water and ice. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the snow peas to the boiling water and cook until tender but still a little crisp, about 3 minutes. Strain the peas from the pot, reserving the water, and add the, to the bowl of ice water. When cold, remove, drain, and set aside, add more water and ice to the bowl.
2. Return the water in the pot to a boil, add the noodles, and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and transfer them to the ice water. Allow to cool, drain, and transfer to a bowl. Toss with the canola oil and set aside.
3. Heat a large wok (or pan) over high heat. Add the curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice, and fish sauce and stir to blend. Add the shrimp and simmer until just cooked, 2 minutes. Add the reserved noodles, chives, bean sprouts, bell pepper, bok choy, and snow peas. Toss to coat the noodles and heat fully, 3 minutes. Correct the seasonings and serve
curry paste
This recipe may come across as intimidating to some, and may require some pantry updates, but believe me, it’s worth it. Once you have the ingredients, many more recipes can be made, and this paste is quite frankly THE BEST. It is so versatile and can literally be used on anything. The leftovers will keep in your fridge for months, and if you’re like me you will be embodying the elderly woman in frank’s red hot commercials by putting this on everything – a smear for sandwiches, eggs, pasta, chicken/tuna salads, dressings, soups…
Makes 4 cups (!) can also be cut in half, thirds..etc.
1/3 cup Thai bird chiles
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
5 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, plus additional freshly ground
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1/4 cup peeled chopped fresh ginger
1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 cup chopped garlic
3 lemongrass stalks, white parts only, chopped
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup thai fish sauce
1 cup medium shallots
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus additional as needed
2 cups Asian peanut oil
1. In a small, heavy skillet, combine the chiles, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally just until the spices begin to smoke, 6 minutes. Using a spice grinder, food processor, or mortar and pestle, grind the spices finely and set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine the turmeric, galangal, cilantro, garlic, lemongrass, lime juice, and fish sauce and process until it forms a smooth purée. Add the shallots, reserved spices, and salt and purée again. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil to make a paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in your fridge for up to two months.
The Outsiders Guide to the Maritimes 
My mother in law collects cook books. If you are not careful, you could end up like her. She lives between Ireland and Spain. The cook books are divided between here and there. I was in the Irish house last weekend. I counted over 350 cook books. Only two duplicates.
You have been warned.
Best,
Conor
That is quite the collection Conor! Your mother-in-law sounds like my kind of lady. My books are divided between Ontario and Nova Scotia, but I am far from 350.