Goong Ob Woonsen
กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น·(goong ob woonsen)
The Rice Cooker Savior: Thai Office Lunches & Hacks
If you grew up in a Thai household—even in a snowy Ohio suburb—you know the intoxicating perfume of toasted sesame oil, ginger, and black pepper hitting a scorching clay pot. This is a legendary seafood restaurant dish, but at home, it was the magic your mother pulled together to make a Tuesday feel like a celebration. You don't need a fragile clay pot to get it right. In Bangkok dorm rooms and modern Thai kitchens, they've figured out a flawless hack: the standard rice cooker. With a few numbing Sichuan peppercorns—the ancient Sino-Thai secret—and a pack of bacon, this deeply nostalgic, practically effortless recipe proves your trusty countertop appliance is capable of absolute magic.
Ingredients
- dried glass noodles3 oz
- large shrimp1/2 lb
- thick-cut bacon4 oz
- old ginger1 med piece
- garlic4 large clove
- thick cilantro stems1/4 cup
- black peppercorns1 tsp
- Sichuan peppercorns1/2 tsp
- oyster sauce3 tbsp
- light soy sauce2 tbsp
- dark sweet soy sauce1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- Shaoxing wine2 tbsp
- water or chicken stock1/2 cup
- Chinese celery1 cup
Method
- 01
Soften the glass noodles.
Place the dried noodles in a large bowl, cover with room-temperature water, and soak for 10 to 15 minutes until pliable. Drain well and snip them in half with kitchen shears so they are easier to serve.
- 02
Whisk the sauce ingredients together.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and water until the sugar completely dissolves.
- 03
Soak the noodles directly in the sauce.
Add your softened, drained glass noodles directly into the bowl of sauce, tossing thoroughly to coat every strand. Let them sit and absorb the umami while you prep the rice cooker.
- 04
Build the layers in your rice cooker pot.
Lay the bacon flat across the bottom of the pot, scatter the smashed garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, and both peppercorns evenly over the bacon, then dump in the sauce-soaked noodles along with every drop of liquid. Arrange the shell-on shrimp in an even layer on top.
- 05
Cook the dish on a standard white rice cycle.
Close the lid, press the standard cook or white rice setting, and let it run for 10 to 15 minutes. The bacon fat will render and fry the aromatics while the sauce creates a fragrant steam trap that perfectly cooks the noodles and shrimp.
- 06
Wilt the greens and toss to combine.
When the shrimp are opaque and the liquid is mostly absorbed, scatter the celery over the top and close the lid for two minutes. Dig deep with a large spoon to toss the caramelized noodles, shrimp, and aromatics, serving immediately alongside steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
Do not peel the shrimp.
The shells protect the meat from overcooking in the steam, and the heads release an incredible savory fat into the noodles.
Find the right noodles.
Ensure your glass noodles are made from mung bean starch, not rice or potato, or they will turn to mush in the cooker.
From Cook Thai in America.