From Josh
I’ve eaten a lot of pad thai over the years, and I have learned two things: 1. It is a LOT of work to make it the way restaurants do and 2. Restaurants almost always make it too sweet. This recipe seeks to rectify both of these things.
However, pad thai is still a bit of a “technique” recipe, and although this comes together quickly, it has a lot of ingredients and may take a few tries to get it right. But trust me, it’s well worth the effort.
To set expectations: You will spend 80% of this recipe on prep, and 20% actually cooking. It is very important that you get all of the ingredients prepared and on hand near the stove before you turn on the heat. I also highly recommend you read the whole recipe first.
Serves 2
1 hour
1/4 cup neutral oil, divided (4 tbsps)
1/3 Lb of dry rice noodles - medium thin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce + a bit more
2 Tbsp water
1.5 Tbsp white vinegar*
white pepper
2 eggs
2 large or 3 medium shallots, finely chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped (no need to take it to minced)
1/2 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thigh, thinly sliced**
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, divided
4 whole scallions, cut into 1-inch segments, white and green parts divided
To Serve:
Lime segments
fresh bean sprouts (optional)
1/2 the chopped peanut
red chili flakes
Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with the hottest water you can get from the tap. Set aside and allow to soak until very pliable and nearly cooked. Prepare other ingredients as noodles soften.
In a small saucepan, heat the brown sugar and fish sauce, stirring just until the brown sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and add to a small bowl with the water and vinegar. This is important: Taste the sauce - it should be sour, salty and sweet; no one flavor should dominate. Adjust in small increments as needed.
In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with a dash of fish sauce and a pinch of white pepper
Prep the remainder of the ingredients, then arrange them all in small bowls near the stove as follows: The eggs, the protein, the garlic with the shallots and scallion whites, the noodles (strained once ready), and the sauce. Place the scallion greens and 1/2 the peanuts in a LARGE bowl.
Heat a large pan or wok over high heat with 1 Tbsp of the oil. when shimmering, add the egg and spread around the pan until just cooked. It will take seconds. chop roughly with spatula and put in the large bowl with the peanuts and scallion greens.
Add another tablespoon of oil, and cook the protein. Shrimp cooks fastest - 25 seconds a side unless very large. Give chicken a minute a side, and firm tofu as long as it needs to get some browning. Once cooked, add to large bowl with the egg/peanut mixture.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, followed by the garlic, shallot, and scallion whites. Stir for about 15 seconds, then add the rice noodles, stirring to combine. Add the contents of the large bowl, then add the sauce around the SIDES of the pan, so it hits the metal directly and sears. Stir vigorously to combine.
As soon as the sauce is well combined, turn off the heat. check to make sure the noodles are cooked through, and taste for salt, adding more fish sauce as desired. If the noodles are still rubbery, add 2 Tbsps of water and return the heat to high, stirring vigorously.
As soon as noodles are fully cooked, transfer all contents directly to the large bowl and serve immediately with lime wedges, chili flakes, the remaining peanuts and optional beansprouts to taste.
* Note: Authentic pad thai uses 4 tbsp sour tamarind pulp instead of white vinegar. If you’re making this on a weekend and want to really take it up a notch, buy a pack of sour tamarind pods (available at many larger groceries and all international groceries) and make tamarind pulp. Or, if you have a good asian grocery nearby, seek out pre-prepared tamarind puree (sometimes called tamarind concentrate) and use a little less. Do NOT buy anything made in India. It’s different and REALLY strong.
** Note: OR 1/2 pound de-veined, tail on raw shrimp OR 1/2 pound very firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2 cubes. All are great.