Viet-Cajun Crawfish Noodles

Lo Mein Noodles, Crawfish, Vietnamese XO Sauce, Crack Sauce, Parmesan, Salmon Roe, Fried Garlic

Chef Peter Nguyen of Lê Madeline | Quincy, MA

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Adapted by StarChefs | June 2024

INGREDIENTS

Vietnamese XO Sauce:
2½ quarts neutral oil
1 cup minced garlic
1 cup minced shallot
1 cup brunoise onion
1 cup brunoise shallot 
1 cup tomato paste
10 Chinese sausages, minced
1 pound minced Vietnamese fried ham
1 stick cinnamon
2 pods star anise
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon Aleppo chile flake
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 ounces dried shrimp
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Crack Sauce:
Oyster sauce
Granulated sugar
Pho broth
Seasoned soy sauce
Fish sauce 
Chicken powder 

Crawfish Butter:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 sprig Thai basil

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
7 ounces lo mein noodles
Grated parmesan
Salmon roe
Sliced chive
Fried garlic

METHOD

For the Vietnamese XO Sauce:
In a sauté pan over medium flame, heat 1¼ quarts oil. Add alliums and cook until softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. Add sausage, ham, and remaining oil. Cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let cool.

For the Crack Sauce:
In a mixing bowl, combine 1 part oyster sauce, sugar, broth, and soy sauce. Stir in ¼ part fish sauce and ⅛ part chicken powder. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

For the Crawfish Butter:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a wok over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon Vietnamese XO Sauce and noodles. Fry until noodles are lightly charred. Add 1 tablespoon Crack Sauce. Toss to coat noodles, then cook until noodles have fully absorbed the sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside. In a separate sauté pan over medium heat, toss crawfish in 2 tablespoons Crawfish Butter. Cook until desired doneness is achieved. Top noodles with crawfish, parmesan, and roe. Garnish with chives and fried garlic.

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