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40 Cloves of Garlic Noodles with Shrimp

SERVES: 6–8 PREP: 15 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 15 minutes

40 Cloves of Garlic Noodles with Shrimp

SERVES: 6–8 PREP: 15 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Worth the garlic breath! With a surprisingly sweet sauce from roasted and crispy garlic.

You’ve heard of 40 cloves of garlic chicken, but what about noodles? This recipe was inspired by Chrissy’s love of the Vietnamese garlic noodles with crab at Crustacean in Beverly Hills, which is supremely garlicky, surprisingly sweet, and lusciously buttery. We don’t know how many cloves they use in their noodles—it’s Chef An’s secret recipe—but we packed 40 cloves into ours. Two heads of garlic are roasted until sweet and caramelized, and the other is fried until crispy to top the dish with extra crunch. You only have to peel one head of garlic, and we have a hack for doing it in 30 seconds using a little water and the microwave for no sticky, papery mess. And instead of expensive crab we substituted shrimp seared in garlic oil, but you can also use any protein you like, or keep it vegetarian-ish with no protein or tofu. (To do that, you can find vegetarian “oyster” sauce at many Asian grocery stores, and try some caper brine instead of fish sauce!)

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INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

3 heads garlic (will be about 40 cloves)
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola), divided
1 pound large (16–20 count) peeled, deveined shrimp
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon Cravings’ Chili Garlic seasoning (optional)
1 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons Maggi seasoning or Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chili Garlic sauce
1 pound fresh Chinese-style egg noodles, such as lo mein (or 8 ounces dried lo mein or thin udon)
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Make the roasted garlic
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the top ¼ inch off two heads of garlic. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in foil, set on a sheet pan, and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft and caramelized. (The garlic is done when a center clove is completely soft when pierced with a paring knife.) Let the garlic cool slightly, then squeeze from the bottom of the bulb to push the cloves out of their paper into a bowl.

Make the crispy garlic garnish
For easy-to-peel garlic, add the remaining unpeeled head of garlic to a microwave-safe small bowl. Cover with cold water and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully remove from the hot water and chop off the bottom (root end) of the bulb. The cloves should immediately separate and peel easily without any sticky, papery mess.

Roughly chop the garlic using a knife or food processor. Add ¾ cup neutral oil and the chopped garlic to a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides to prevent sticking, until the garlic turns pale golden brown, 6–8 minutes longer. Immediately remove from the heat and strain into a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl—if you wait, it will overcook.

Let the crispy garlic drain on a paper towel–lined plate. Once cooled, store the garlic oil separately in a jar or resealable container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. (It will solidify when chilled; bring to room temperature or gently heat to use.)

Cook the shrimp
While the garlic is roasting, heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon garlic oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, and ¼ teaspoon Chili Garlic seasoning, if using. Add another tablespoon of garlic oil to the skillet, add the shrimp in a single layer, and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes, or until pink and opaque, working in batches if needed. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Wipe out the skillet to finish the dish.

Make the sauce
Smash the roasted garlic with a fork, then add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, Maggi seasoning, fish sauce, sesame oil, and Chili Garlic sauce. Stir to combine and set aside.

Finish the noodles
Boil the noodles according to package directions. (Fresh noodles take 2–5 minutes; dried noodles take 8–10 minutes.) Heat the same skillet or wok over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the noodles and toss so every strand is coated. Let sit and crisp for 3 minutes. Add the sauce and toss thoroughly, then add the shrimp and toss again. Garnish with crispy garlic and cilantro and serve.