Pad Thai

INGREDIENTS for 2 large servings

Meat & Seafood department

Choose 1 of

• Chicken thighs, skinless boneless - 1lbs, diced 1"

• Shrimps, raw, large or jumbo - 12-16, deveined, peeled, tails removed

Produce department

• Garlic, minced - 2 tbsp (or 6-8 cloves, crushed)

• Shallots - 2-4, finely chopped 

  • Needs to yield about 1/4 cup

  • Substitute: red or yellow onion when pantry is desperately empty

• Green onions (or chives) - 2, cut 2" length

• Bean sprouts - 1 cup, rinsed

• Tofu, extra firm - 1/2 of a 14-16oz box, diced 1/2"

• Lime juice - 1/8 cup

• (Optional garnish) Cilantro, coarsely chopped

• (Optional garnish) Lime - 1, sliced

Dairy aisle

• Eggs - 2

Baking & Snacks aisle

• Coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar) - 1/8 cup

• (Optional garnish) Peanuts, crushed

International aisle

• Pad Thai noodles, dry - 8oz

• Olive oil - 1/2 + 1/2 tbsp

• Sesame oil - 1 tbsp

• Fish sauce - 1/8 cup

• Oyster sauce - 1 tbsp

• If cooking with Sauce Option 1

  • Rice vinegar (or mirin) - 1/8 cup 

  • Oyster sauce (or soy sauce) - 1/8 cup

  • Sriracha - 1/8 cup

Specialty items

• (Optional authentic touch) Dried shrimps - 1/4 cup, rinsed, soaked in hot water to soften, chopped

• (Optional authentic touch) Preserved radish - 1/4 cup, finely chopped, soak in cold water for a few mins to reduce saltiness, squeeze dry

• If cooking with Sauce Option 2

  • Tamarind paste - 1/8 cup

  • Thai-style shrimp paste - 1 tbsp

DIRECTIONS

1. Marinade the meat of choice a few hours in advance

Marinade:

1. • Oyster sauce - 1 tbsp

   • Olive oil - 1/2 tbsp

2. To make the Pad Thai sauce, begin by melting melt the sugar (1/8 cup) in warm or hot water (1/4 cup). Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix well to create about 1 cup of sauce.

   • Option 1: fish sauce (1/8 cup), rice vinegar or mirin (1/8 cup), oyster sauce or soy sauce (1/8 cup), lime juice (1/8 cup), sriracha (1/8 cup)

   • Option 2: fish sauce (1/8 cup), tamarind paste (1/8 cup), Thai-style shrimp paste (1 tbsp)

3. Ignore the noodle cooking instruction on the package. Fill a deep dish or baking pan with cold water and soak the noodles for 15-30 mins. Check often after 15 mins. Remove the noodles from water when the noodles are no longer "crunchy" and break easily, but the center is still hard.

4. In a skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil (1/2 tbsp) over high heat. Add the protein (chicken or shrimp) and sauté until fully cooked. Set aside.

5. Using the same sauté pan, heat sesame oil (2 tbsp) on medium and stir in the garlic (2 tbsp minced or 6-8 cloves crushed) and shallots. Cook until fragrant but not burned. Stir in the dried shrimp and preserved radish bits and leave them cooking for a minute.

6. Add tofu and Pad Thai sauce (2 tbsp). Stir well until the tofu is well coated. 

7. Change the heat to high. Add the noodles and the remaining Pad Thai sauce. Stir everything together and continue stirring until the noodles absorbs the sauce and softens. If sauce is fully absorbed before the noodle is soft enough, stir in 1 tbsp water at a time until the noodles is cooked to the desired texture. Taste testing may be required.

8. Add the chicken or shrimp back to the pan to warm.

9. Push the ingredients in the pan to the side to make room for cooking the eggs. Add sesame or olive oil (1/2 tbsp) to the empty spot in the pan and crack the eggs (2) over the oil.

10. Break the yolks and spread it a little with the spatula. Allow the eggs to firm and crisp up slightly on the edge (15-30 secs) before stirring again to cook the eggs fully.

11. Stir in the bean sprouts and green onions and cook until both are soft.  This Pad Thai is ready to be garnished (crushed peanuts, cilantro, and a sprinkle of lime juice) and served!

NOM NOM CHOMP!