- A thumb of ginger
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 chilli
- 2 tbsp tamari
- A 250g pack of beef stir-fry strips
- 2 bundles of Thai rice noodles
- 1 bunch of salad onions
- 2 carrots
- A 75g bag of baby leaf spinach
- 1 tsp + 3 tbsp olive oil
- A couple of bowls
- Medium pan
- Colander
- Measuring jug
- Deep frying pan or wok
- Ovenproof dish
- Kitchen paper
- 1.
Peel and grate the ginger and garlic. Halve the chilli and flick out most of the seeds. Finely chop it. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli to a bowl. Pour in 1 tbsp of the tamari. Add the beef strips. Stir to combine, then leave to marinate.
- 2.
Bring a pan of water to the boil. Drop in 2 noodle bundles and cook for 3 mins. Drain the noodles into a colander, reserving 100ml of the starchy water. Shake the colander to remove as much excess water as possible. Tip into a bowl. Stir in 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of the tamari. Leave to cool.
- 3.
Trim the salad onions. Cut the dark green parts off and set aside. Finely slice the rest and add to the noodles. Use a fork to make a nest by sticking it into the noodles and twirling to swirl some noodles and salad onions together. Slide off the fork onto a plate. Repeat to make 4 nests.
- 4.
Trim and peel the carrots, then cut them into thin matchsticks. Cut the reserved green parts of the salad onions in half lengthways. Set your oven to its lowest temperature.
- 5.
Heat a deep frying pan or wok over a high heat for 1 min. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the beef along with its marinade. Stir fry over a high heat for 3-4 mins. Pour in the reserved starchy water. Bring to a bubble, then add the carrots and green salad onion tops. Cook for 3-4 mins to soften the carrots.
- 6.
Tip the beef and carrots into an ovenproof dish and keep warm in the oven. Wipe the pan clean. Set the pan back on the heat. Pour in 2 tbsp olive oil.
- 7.
Place 2 nests in the hot oil and cook for 2 mins. Flip them over with a spatula. The bottoms should be golden and crispy. Fry for 2 more mins to crisp the top. Lift out of the pan and sit on some kitchen paper to drain. Repeat with the remaining nests.
- 8.
Stir the spinach through the beef to wilt it. Serve the beef with the crispy noodle nests.