One-Pot Thai Shrimp and Glass Noodles (Goong Ob Woon Sen)

Traditionally cooked in a covered clay pot over a coal fire, goong ob woon sen—a Thai dish of Chinese origin—comes together with ease. Noodles and shrimp are layered into the pot, liquid is poured in and everything steams for 10 minutes. The flavors—a balance of savory-sweetness with heat from black and/or white pepper, plus ginger and garlic—mix as the noodles absorb the seasonings, resulting in a flavorful but sauceless tangle of ingredients. For our simplified version, we use a Dutch oven, as its heft conducts heat evenly and steadily, similar to a clay pot. Glass noodles go by different names, including bean threads, bean vermicelli, cellophane noodles or saifun. They resemble rice vermicelli but the two are very different, so shop carefully. Check the label to make sure the noodles are made at least in part with mung bean starch. If you can find a brand made with 100 percent mung bean starch, even better.