Thanh Long Garlic Noodles

This Vietnamese-American dish of buttery noodles and lots of garlic is thought to be invented by the An family at Thanh Long, their  restaurant in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset district. 
101 Judah St
(between 46th Ave & 47th Ave) 
San Francisco, CA 94122

To mash the garlic, use a garlic press or finely mince and then mash the garlic with the flat side of a knife. Mixing the garlic with water prevents it from cooking and browning too fast. If you like, stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley before the final seasoning check of salt. To gild the lily, after pulling the noodles from the skillet, sear some peeled large or jumbo prawns and serve them atop the noodles. Garlic noodles with prawns is a very very popular dish on Vietnamese crossover restaurant menus. While developing this recipe last night, we ate it with meatloaf and summer squash.

Feel free to experiment. Some recipes online like Rasa Malaysia’s include oyster sauceand I’ve seen Yelp postings that call for a dash or two of nuoc mam fish sauce. I like Maggi Seasoning Sauce as it speaks to the blending of western and eastern ingredients that makes Vietnamese food beguiling. Try this recipe out, tinker with it, and share your insights!

Serves 4 as a side dish

10 ounces fresh or 8 ounces dried linguine pasta
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
Scant 1 tablespoon Maggi Seasoning Sauce
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons packed mashed fresh garlic mixed with 2 teaspoons water
Salt, kosher preferred, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender (go beyond normal, chewy al dente). Ladle out and reserve 1/2 cup of the slightly thick cooking liquid. Drain the pasta. Drain the pasta but do not flush it with water.

2. To the reserved cooking liquid, add the rice wine (or sherry) and Maggi Seasoning Sauce. Set aside near the stove.

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the 1/4 cup butter. Once it has melted, add the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for just 1 to 2 minutes, until softened, fragrant and just about to turn color. 

Side Note: Once the oil has been heated, toss in the 2 cloves of pounded garlic.

1. Once the olive oil has been infused with the garlic (about 2-3 minutes) on medium high heat, add the butter and turn the heat to low heat.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients besides the noodles and parmesan cheese. Let everything simmer and mix for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Once everything is simmering and bubbling a little bit, toss in the noodles and with a chop stick, stir and toss for 3 minutes.

Add the reserved cooking liquid and stir to combine. When the mixture vigorously boils, raise the heat to high, then add the warm pasta.

Cook, stirring with tongs, until the sauce clings to the pasta and there is no liquid visible in the skillet. Remove from the heat, season with salt, and then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to add a final rich note. Divide the noodles between 4 bowls and serve immediately.

This recipe is adapted from two others: http://thenoodleguy.com/2012/03/14/vietnamese-garlic-noodle-recipe-thanh-long-style/  and  http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2008/08/vietnamese-garlic-noodles.html