home-style Pad Thai to take to a Super Bowl Party
This is a home-style version of the popular Thai restaurant classic, Pad Thai. We made it for a Super Bowl party yesterday, and it passed muster, so I thought I'd pass along the recipe.
It's not hard to make, but it does use a lot of ingredients. It took a total of about 35 minutes to make it, including soaking the noodles and getting everything washed, cut up, measured and staged for stir-frying.
Pad Thai
(adapted from home-style by Ivy Vann)
Serves 8 -10
1 lb. thin rice sticks (rice noodles --look in the Thai section)
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup fish sauce
2 T. brown sugar
3 T. toasted sesame oil
2 t. chili powder
1/2 to 1 t. crushed red peppers
2 T. vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. fresh shrimp or defrosted frozen, deveined and shelled
(you can use extra firm tofu instead. Be sure to drain well, and cut into bite sizes)
6 eggs
12 scallions
1/2 lb. (8 ounces) mung bean sprouts
6 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1.5 to 2 cups toasted peanuts
2 limes, sliced into wedges
Important: give yourself enough time to soak the noodles, at least 1/2 hour, and be sure to use HOT tap water. We used stick noodles.
Soak noodles per the package directions. Takes 25 - 30 minutes which gives you time to get everything ready.
I highly recommend that you get everything ready in advance. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Toast peanuts. ( I like to use the toaster oven.) Dice scallions, both green and white sections, very fine, and set aside. Crack eggs into a small bowl, and have ready.
Combine chili powder, peppers, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil an fish sauce in a medium size bowl.
Drain the noodles so they are ready, too.
Now it is time to cook. Be sure your pan is big enough from the get go.
Heat oil in heavy skillet.
Add shrimp, one layer and let it begin to turn pink, then turn them all over. Add the garlic.
Continue to cook until the shrimp are pink, but not overcooked.
Add eggs to the pan, and cook, stirring constantly, just until they begin to set.
Look at how pretty the shrimp and eggs look together!
Add drained noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Noodles will soften and absorb the egg mixture.
Add sesame oil mixture,
bean sprouts,
and scallions,
and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Transfer to a large bowl or platter, and top with toasted peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and squeeze over the dish. Don't skip the limes, they add a lot of brightness to the dish.
Since we were off to a Super Bowl party, we packed ours up in a thermal bag for transportation.
The recipe can easily be cut in half for 4 to 6, or in thirds as a meal for two.
Hope you will try it!
B
