5 Star Pad Thai Recipes

A PAD THAI WORTH MAKING

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with hot tap water and place the noodles in it to soak for 20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of the chile sauce and chicken stock. Set aside.
• Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, stir in garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add shrimp and chicken; cook, stirring constantly until shrimp is opaque and chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Move everything in the wok out to the sides and pour the eggs in the center. Cook and stir the eggs until firm. Add the noodles to the wok and pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are tender. Add a bit more water if needed to finish cooking the noodles. Stir in 3 cups of bean sprouts, green onions, and remaining chile sauce. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped peanuts. Taste for seasoning, adjusting the spice or lime juice if needed.
• Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and remaining bean sprouts with lime wedges on the side.

CLASSIC CHICKEN PAD THAI

Steps:

• Soak rice noodles in a bowl of water for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and tamarind paste in a bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
• Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add tofu. Cook chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes.
• Add garlic and shrimp paste to the wok and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes, then add fish sauce mixture and drained noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Push noodles to one side of the wok. Crack the eggs into the other side. Scramble until firm, about 3 minutes. Stir into the noodles. Serve with peanuts, bean sprouts, and lime wedges.

SUKHOTHAI PAD THAI

Steps:

• To prepare Pad Thai sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, blend sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and tamarind pulp.
• To make Pad Thai: Soak rice noodles in cold water until soft; drain. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, warm oil and add garlic and eggs; scramble the eggs. Add tofu and stir until well mixed; add noodles and stir until cooked.
• Stir in Pad Thai sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in peanuts and ground radish. Remove from heat and add chives and paprika.
• Serve with lime and bean sprouts on the side.

AUTHENTIC PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with several inches of room temperature water; let soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain.
• Whisk sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil and minced garlic in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir in eggs; scramble until eggs are nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken breast slices and rice noodles; stir to combine.
• Stir in tamarind mixture, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and salt; cook until noodles are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in peanuts; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with bean sprouts, chives, paprika, and lime wedges.

CHICKEN PAD THAI

Steps:

• For the noodles: Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
• For the sauce: Stir together the fish sauce, brown sugar, tamarind, sriracha and lime juice in a small bowl until well combined.
• For the stir fry: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Push the tofu to the side, allowing the excess oil to drip down into the middle of the skillet. Add the chicken and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is opaque and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Push to the side with the tofu, allowing the excess oil to drip down into the middle of the skillet. Add the beaten egg to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally and chopping to break up, until cooked through, about 30 seconds. Push the egg to the side with the tofu and chicken. Add the peppers to the skillet and cook just to soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the noodles, bean sprouts, scallions and sauce to the skillet. Combine the tofu, chicken and egg into the ingredients and stir fry, coating the ingredients with the sauce, and simmer to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pile the stir fry onto a serving plate and top with chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
• Combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
• Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the other ingredients are measured out into separate bowls, drain the water from the noodles and set them aside. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch wide strips, similar to French fries.
• Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.
• Place a wok over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Heat until it shimmers, then add the tofu. Cook the tofu until golden brown, moving constantly, for no longer than 1 minute. Remove the tofu from the pan to a small bowl and set aside.
• If necessary, add some more peanut oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Add 2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic, cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the eggs to the pan; once the eggs begin to set up, about 15 to 20 seconds, stir to scramble. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order and toss after each addition: noodles, sauce, cabbage, shrimp, and 2/3 of the bean sprouts and peanuts. Toss everything until heated through, but no longer than 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining scallions, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Serve immediately with the ground chile peppers and lime wedges.
• Wrap the tofu firmly in a tea towel. Place the wrapped tofu into an 8-inch cake pan. Top with another cake pan and weigh down with a 5-pound weight. (Bags of dried beans or grains work well.) Place in refrigerator and press for 12 to 15 hours.
• Place pressed tofu in a 2-cup container. Combine soy sauce and five-spice powder and pour over tofu. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove the tofu from the marinade and use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.