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2 teaspoons minced fresh red Thai bird chile

2 cups bean sprouts

½ cup crushed roasted unsalted peanuts, for garnish

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, for garnish

2 limes, cut into wedges, for garnish

1. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 40 minutes, or until the noodles have softened. Drain in a colander and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind concentrate; set aside.

3. Heat a wok over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and the beaten eggs. Cook, gently swirling the pan, until the eggs have set into a thin omelet, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a small plate and set aside to cool. Julienne the eggs and set aside.

4. Increase the heat to medium-high, add 2 tablespoons of the remaining vegetable oil, and cook the fresh shrimp, in batches, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the wok and set aside.

5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok, then add the tofu, shallot, garlic, dried shrimp, and red chiles. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, until the tofu is heated through and the shallot begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the noodles, egg, and shrimp back to the wok and toss to combine. Add the fish sauce mixture to the pan and stir until everything is well coated with the sauce. If necessary, adjust the flavor to taste by adding more fish sauce or tamarind.

6. When the noodles are heated through, add the bean sprouts. Toss to combine, then remove from the heat and top with the crushed peanuts, cilantro, and green onions. Serve immediately, garnished with the lime wedges.

4 to 6 servings

Note 1: Also known as nam pla in Thailand, or nuoc nam in Vietnam, fish sauce is a basic ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking. It is used to make marinades and sauces and is often served as a condiment. Fish sauce is derived from fish that has been salted and allowed to ferment. Fish sauce can be found in Asian markets and sometimes in the international aisle of the grocery store. There are many brands of fish sauce, but we prefer Three Crabs, Golden Boy, and Tiparos brands.

Note 2: Fried tofu is available in vacuum-sealed packages in the refrigerator section of many health food stores and Asian markets.

WHOLE FRIED FISH VERACRUZ STYLE

This dish is a collision of cultures. We fried a whole fish Chinese style in a wok, but the sauce is influenced by the town of Veracruz, Mexico, an area known for its fresh seafood. I think you’ll find this to be a delicious marriage! This recipe makes a generous amount of sauce—if you’re a sauce lover, it’ll be just right. Alternatively, if you want to fry two fish to increase the yield to four servings, you’ll have just enough sauce for both.

1 whole fish such as speckled trout, drum, or snapper, head on, scaled and gutted (1 to 1½ pounds)

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup rice flour

2 cups peanut oil

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon dried Mexican or regular oregano, crumbled between your fingers

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice

½ cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons drained capers

¼ cup sliced pitted green olives

¼ cup sliced pickled jalapeño chiles, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Using a sharp knife, make several deep diagonal slits into the flesh of the fish on both sides. Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then place it in a nonreactive baking dish and rub well on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Dust the fish with the rice flour, shaking to remove any excess.

2. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until it reaches 375°F. Add the fish, taking care not to splatter the oil, and cook until golden brown and completely cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes, ladling the oil over the fish continuously as it cooks. Transfer the fish to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain briefly before transferring