Pad Thai¶
RECIPE COURTESY OF JET TILA Level: Intermediate Total: 1 hr (includes soaking of rice stick noodles) Active: 20 min Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Pad Thai Sauce: 4 tablespoons (60 ml) Thai fish sauce 4 tablespoons (50 g) sugar 3 tablespoons (45 ml) bottled tamarind paste 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice wine vinegar (unseasoned) 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, for color (optional) 2 teaspoons chili sauce, such as Sriracha
Pad Thai: 3 to 4 cups medium-width rice sticks, soaked Banana leaf, cut into circles, for plating (optional) 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, such as canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil 3 to 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1/2 cup (95 g) Thai-style baked tofu, sliced 1 teaspoon dried shrimp 1/2 cup (95 g) chicken, cut into thin strips, 1-inch lengths 2 eggs 4 teaspoons packaged salted turnip, minced 8 shrimp, peeled and cleaned 1 cup (240 g) bean sprouts 1/4 cup (50 g) dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed 3 to 4 garlic chives (or scallions), cut into 2-inch bias strips 1 lime, cut for garnish
Directions
For the Pad Thai Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, paprika and chili sauce. Set aside.
For the Pad Thai: Soak the noodles in enough warm water to cover for 1 hour.
If using, cut the banana leaf into round shapes using an overturned bowl. Place on the serving platter and hold for plating.
Heat a cast iron pan over high heat. Add the oil and coat the pan completely. When the pan starts to smoke, add the garlic and stir for 5 seconds. Add the tofu and dried shrimp and stir-fry until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry until no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes.
Push ingredients in the pan to one side and let the oil settle in the center of pan. Crack the eggs into the pan. Allow to set until half-cooked, about 30 seconds, then lightly scramble. Combine with the remaining cooked ingredients in pan, scraping the bits from the pan before they burn. Add 3 cups of the drained noodles and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the salted turnip and shrimp. Cook until both the chicken and shrimp are medium doneness, about 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture and fold together until all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Place half of the bean sprouts, half of the crushed peanuts and the garlic chives (or green onions) in the center of noodles, and then spoon some noodles over them to cover and let steam for 30 seconds. If the pan seems dry, add a small amount of the noodle soaking water. Transfer to a serving plate with the banana leaf circle, and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts and lime.