Pad Thai(Mee)

Written By Hong Thaimee

Serves 4

2 cups rice stick noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons

2 small shallots, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon pickled turnip (store-bought, in a jar)

1 lb proteine of your choice

1/2 cup extra-firm tofu, diced2 large eggs, preferably farm-fresh

1 cup of Thaimee pad Thai sauce (or to taste)

½ cup garlic chives (or chinese chives), cut into 1-inch lengths and leave a whole brunch to garnish (as you would see at a Pad Thai stall in Thailand)

1 cup bean sprouts (half to cook and half to garnish

2 tablespoons peanuts, crushed

1 lime, cut into wedges

Thai chili powder, to taste

Hydrate rice stick noodles in a shallow dish of room temperature water until just soften and plyable. This can take as long as 45 minutes, depending on the noodles, but don’t use hot —this will turn the noodles mushy. Keep hydrated noodles in water till ready to use.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and pickled turnip and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute (do not brown).

Add the protiene of your choice and tofu and lightly cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes, just till pink or 3 minutes. Remove cooked shrimp and tofu , to a bowl and set aside.

Increase heat to a high heat, in the same skillet, add extra oil, if needed, once the oil is hot, crack the eggs in. Let the egg settle for about 1 min, break the yolk and stir gently, but do not scramble. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Once the eggs are fully cooked, add the noodles and sauce. Let the sauce bubble and coat the noodles for about 30 sec and stir. Once the noodles have softened and are coated with the sauce and egg mixture, add the cooked shrimp and tofu. Mix well. Stir in the half of chopped chives and half bean sprouts. Mix well.

Remove from heat.

Serve on a platter garnished with half of beansprout, garlic chive sprigs, a sprinkling of peanuts, ground dried red chili pepper and a wedge of lime.

Tips:

1. The key to a good pad thai is high heat, which is why I recommend a large cast-iron skillet over a wok for home use. In Thailand, true, old-school pad Thai is traditionally cooked on a flat-topped iron pan on a charcoal stove. Trust me, using the right heat and pan will help ensure the best finished texture for the noodles texture and promotes the caramelization of the sauce—glazing the noodles for the truest flavor. If using a very wide pan, just keep an eye on everything, it’ll cook fast over high heat.

2. Try not to scrumbled the egg. Crusty eggs gives Pad Thai an extra charred flavor.