Colm O'Gorman's perfect pork, peanut, chilli and lime noodle recipe 

A stir fry is quick, tasty, healthy and a great way to pack lots of fresh vegetables into a meal

This recipe serves four people.

There are few dishes that are easier to prepare than a stir fry. They are quick, tasty, healthy and a great way to pack lots of fresh vegetables into a meal. That said, it can be easy to get into a bit of a rut with stir fries, sticking just to the same basic recipe and flavours. Which is a shame when you think about the extraordinary range of Asian ingredients and flavour combinations that are out there. With that in mind, I have a new recipe for you this week, a lovey stir-fried dish of minced pork with green beans, fresh corn and button mushrooms in a peanut, lime, and chilli sauce served on a bed of noodles.

You could have this stir fry with rice, but I favour noodles that have simply been boiled for just a few minutes and then tossed in a little toasted sesame oil. Soba noodles would be good, but I use ramen noodles as I love their creamy, smooth texture. You will find ramen noodles in most supermarkets these days, but if use them regularly, I would suggest buying them from an Asian supermarket where they will be a fraction of the price.

I finish this dish with a sprinkle of crispy fried shallots over each serving. They add a lovely bit of texture. You can get those premade in most supermarkets or any Asian supermarket, which is very convenient, and certainly a lot less hassle than trying to make them yourself.

Pork, peanut, chilli and lime noodles

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

You could have this stir fry with rice, but I favour noodles that have simply been boiled for just a few minutes and then tossed in a little toasted sesame oil.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Asian

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2-3cm fresh ginger root

• 100g smooth peanut butter

• 60ml soy sauce

• 3 tbsp runny honey

• Juice of 1-2 limes

• 1-2 tsp chilli flakes

• a few tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

• 1 medium onion

• 400g minced pork

• 1 ear of corn on the cob

• 150g fine green beans

• 125g button mushrooms

• 300g ramen noodles

• To serve:

• 2 spring onions finely sliced.

• 1 red chilli finely sliced

• some crispy fried shallots

Method

1. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger. You should get a tablespoon of both from these quantities. Pop that into a bowl, along with the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, lime juice and chilli flakes. I always use the juice of two limes when making this dish, but some people may find that a little too sharp, so add the juice of just one lime to begin with. You can add more to taste towards the end of cooking if it is required. If you like lots of spice, use two teaspoons of chilli flakes, or just one of you want a milder dish. Use a fork to combine all the ingredients together and set aside for now.

2. Peel and slice the onion. I like my onion to have a little bite, so I slice it about 3mm thick. Wash and trim the green beans and cut them into 2cm long pieces. Wash the ear of corn, and stand it on one end in a large bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut downwards and slice off the kernels, working your way around the cob until you have removed them all. You could use frozen corn for convenience, but fresh corn from a cob will give much better flavour and only takes a few minutes to prepare. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into halves.

3. Pop a large pan of water on the hob and bring it to the boil while you cook the stir fry. You will boil the noodles close to the end of cooking the stir fry, as they will only need three minutes to cook.

4. Heat a wok or large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add a few tablespoons of toasted sesame oil and then straight away before the oil starts to burn, pop in the sliced onions. Stir fry those for a minute and add the minced pork. Keep stir frying until the meat breaks up and browns a little, making sure not to burn or over cook it. You will need to keep an eye on it and stir fry constantly, it will only take three to four minutes. If you need to reduce the heat a little, just turn it down to medium. Next add the green beans and stir fry for another two minutes or so. Turn off the heat now for a moment while you cook the noodles.

5. By now your water should be boiling, so add the noodles to the pan, stirring well as they soften to ensure that they do not stick together as they cook. Check the cooking instructions, but ramen noodles should only need three minutes in boiling water. Be careful not to overcook them or they will be stodgy and not very good to eat.

6. While the noodles are cooking, turn the heat under your wok back up to high and add the button mushrooms and the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and stir the sauce in. It will cook down quite quickly, and you will need to add a little more liquid. Use a little of the water from the pot of noodles, that starchy water will add some more creaminess to the sauce. Stir that in to get the right consistency and remove the wok from the heat.

7. Drain the noodles into a colander and return them to the pot. Toss the noodles in a little toasted sesame oil and leave them to the side.

8. Taste the stir fry and add more lime juice if required.

9. Serve immediately. To plate up, arrange a little pile of noodles in the middle of each of the four warm plates. Spoon over the stir fry and top each portion off with lots of thinly sliced spring onion, slices of fresh red chilli and some crispy shallots.