Pad Thai...Oh My!

Pad Thai...Oh My!

I do not believe that Thailand has a national dish per se but Pad Thai assuredly ranks right up there with Tom Yum Soup, Thai Fried-Rice and Pok Pok (Papaya Salad). The taste contrasts of sweet, sour, salty and the textural juxtaposition between soft rice noodles and egg combined with crunchy vegetables and peanuts…this dish has it all!

Pad Thai literally means "Thai-style stir-fried noodles". What is definitely not Thai are the noodles! Noodles were only introduced to the Thai people within the last century brought by immigrants coming in from southern China. After World War II the government of Thailand was looking for ways to relieve the high unemployment rate and revive the Thai economy. The production of rice noodles and the operation of noodle shops was promoted heavily by the government to give the populace new ways to earn money. Detailed instructions on how to make the noodles and recipes were printed and distributed around the country. From these efforts, rice noodles became firmly rooted in the country and have since become a widespread staple food. [1]

Pad Thai is a street food. It can be be found anywhere day or night. If you are a well-off day worker your pad Thai will likely contain meat, chicken or even shrimp. The more you pay the more of these will be in your serving. If you are a poorer night worker your pad Thai will likely only contain a little stir-fried tofu and some ground dried shrimp sprinkled on top to give it some flavor. Available anytime, anywhere and to everyone. [2] Sounds like a national dish to me!

The ingredient list is primarily Emeril’s but you can certainly alter it based on what you like or have on hand. The cooking method took me some time to figure out because so many that are out there yield a mush gloppy mass of noodles and this is not correct and Emeril's method didn't work very well. Your rice noodles should end up with some structure and texture remaining “al dente” if you will.

Also if you see in other recipes the addition of ketchup, don’t use it. This is an American bastardization and should be avoided like the plague. Your pad Thai should not be pink and your ingredients should taste fresh with each component coming through. Here then is the best way to make pad Thai that I have found. I have been ecstatically happy with the results and now have one more Asian dish in my arsenal that I will probably never order out again.

Recipe: Real Pad Thai
Traditional condiment accompaniments are lime wedges, sriracha, ground dried shrimp, fish sauce and/or ground dried Thai chili powder. I use the lime and sriracha and find that this is sufficient for me but you should play around and see what combination works for you. Have fun and Enjoy!

Ingredients
7 ounces medium rice stick noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons palm sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons peanut oil (or canola)

1 cup diced firm tofu and/or 12oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deviened (I generally use 1 or the other. For the quick late night version in the picture I added edamame with the vegetables and skipped the tofu and shrimp altogether).

2 eggs lightly scrambled

1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps (optional)
2 large carrots, cut into matchstick-sized strips
1/2 cup matchstick-sized red bell pepper strips
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1" piece of ginger minced

At least 1 cup of bean sprouts, I probably use closed to 2 because I like the added crunch.
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts (or cashews-not traditional but good), roughly chopped
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (if you don't like cilantro try using some fresh basil, mint or a combination of the two).

Directions
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Allow noodles to soak for 5 minutes maximum. Check at 3 minutes for al dente. The key is to not let them get too soft. Drain, and rinse with cold, running water for 30 seconds. Drain well and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, red pepper, coconut milk, the tamarind concentrate, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Prep all of your vegetables and whatever protein you are choosing to use.

Heat your wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat then add the oils. When just below smoking add your tofu and/or shrimp and stir-fry quickly until cooked through. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

Now pour in your eggs and scramble until almost cooked. Add mushrooms, carrots, peppers, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. You want everything to be crisp-tender. Add the sauce that you made earlier then put your noodles in. Toss together and heat through. Then put in the bean sprouts, peanuts, green onions, lime juice and cilantro. Toss to combine and quickly remove it from the heat. Serve with any of the above condiments.

Next to try: Pok Pok and Thai Fried Rice! Mmmmm, I can't wait.