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Overhead of goong ob woon sen, Thai shrimp and glass noodles in a dark clay pot on slate, topped with pork slices, cracked black pepper, ginger, Chinese celery and cilantro

Goong Ob Woon Sen (Thai Shrimp and Glass Noodle Pot)

Glass noodles steamed in a pot with a soy, oyster sauce, black pepper and ginger dressing, with a layer of lean pork underneath and shrimp on top. One pot, about 30 minutes, 45g of protein per serving.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 500
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lb large raw shrimp about 700g, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
  • 7 oz lean pork loin or tenderloin about 200g, sliced thin across the grain
  • 7 oz dried glass noodles about 200g, mung bean vermicelli, soaked in room temperature water for 10 minutes and drained
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns coarsely cracked
  • 6 cloves garlic smashed and roughly chopped
  • 3 cilantro roots or stems a small handful of stems, chopped, if you cannot get roots
  • 2 inch fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 3 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce optional, for color
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 0.75 cup chicken stock or water about 180ml
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 3 stalks Chinese celery cut into 2 inch lengths; or 1 regular celery rib sliced thin plus its leaves
  • 3 scallions cut into 2 inch lengths
  • 1 handful cilantro leaves to finish
  • 1 lime cut into wedges, to serve

Method
 

  1. Soak the glass noodles in room temperature water for 10 minutes while you prep everything else. Drain well. They should be pliable but still a bit firm; they finish cooking in the pot.
  2. Mix the sauce. In a bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, sugar, sesame oil and stock until the sugar dissolves. Toss the drained noodles in this sauce and let them sit while you do the next step. They will start drinking it up.
  3. Pound or chop the cracked peppercorns, garlic and cilantro roots together into a rough paste. A mortar is fastest, but a knife and the flat of the blade work fine.
  4. Heat a heavy lidded pot or deep skillet (a Dutch oven is ideal) over medium heat. Add the neutral oil and the pepper garlic paste and fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add half the ginger and fry 30 seconds more.
  5. Lay the pork slices over the base of the pot in one layer. Pile the sauced noodles on top of the pork, pouring in any sauce left in the bowl. Scatter the remaining ginger and the celery over the noodles.
  6. Arrange the shrimp on top in a single layer. Cover with the lid, turn the heat to medium low and cook for 8 minutes without lifting the lid. The steam trapped inside cooks the shrimp and finishes the noodles at the same time.
  7. Lift the lid. The shrimp should be pink and curled and the noodles clear and glossy. If there is still a puddle of liquid at the bottom, cook uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes more. If the noodles look dry, splash in 2 tablespoons of water and cover for another minute.
  8. Add the scallions, put the lid back on and turn off the heat. Rest 2 minutes. Toss everything together gently from the bottom so the pork and the pepper oil come up through the noodles. Finish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges and, if you like, a chili lime dipping sauce on the side.