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http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/wchuang/cooking/recipes/Chinese/Pad_Thai.html

COLLECTION: Pad Thai
From: arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva)

Date: Mon, 2 Aug 93 14:20:23 CDT

Contents

* Pad Thai (1)
* Pad Thai (2)
* Pad Thai (3)
* Pad Thai (4)
* Pad Thai with Shrimp

Pad Thai (1)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb dried rice noodles, 1/8 inch wide
warm water
1/2 lb shrimp, chicken, pork or combination
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp paprika
4 green onions
1/2 cup vegetable oil (more if needed for step six)
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 eggs
3/4 lb bean sprouts
ground roasted chiles (see note at bottom)
ground unsalted roasted peanuts
lime wedges

1. Soak noodles for 20-25 minutes in enough warm water to cover them.
They should be flexible and soft, but not so soft that they can be
mashed easily with the fingers. Later cooking in liquid will soften
them more. Drain them throughly in a colander while preparing the
other ingredients.

Traditionally they are left in full-length strands, but you may cut
them into 8 inch lengths if you find it easier to stir-fry them
that way.

2. Peel and devein the shrimp leaving the tails intact (or remove if
preferred)

Slice chicken, pork into 1/8-inch strips about 1 to 2 inches long.

3. Mix the fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, and paprika in a bowl and stir
until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Slice green onions both the
green and white parts, diagonally into 1-1/2 inch long pieces. Set
aside.

4. Heat a wok, add the oil and swirl over the surface. Add the garlic
and stir-fry until light golden. Add the meat and stir-fry until
shrimp is pink. If using chicken or pork, stir-fry until the pink
disappears. Add the noodles and toss lightly to coat with oil and
the distribute meat and garlic (I often do this in a larger pot
since things tend to come out of the wok).

5. Add the liquid from step 3 and bring it to a boil rapidly, gently
folding the noodles without breaking them. Reduce heat to medium and
boil the mixture, folding frequently until the noodles have absorbed
the liquid (I find a pasta server works great for this step).

6. Lift the noodles gently from one side of the wok. Pour a little oil
along the side of the wok, then break the egg ad slip it into the oil.
Break the yolk and cover the egg with the noodles immediately. Repeat
this on the opposite side with the other egg. Allow eggs to cook
undisturbed, over moderate heat until they are set and almost dry.
Additional oil may by added if the eggs or the noodles begin to stick
to the wok.

7. When the eggs are set and almost dry, fold them gently but rapidly
into the noodles. Try not to break the noodles, which will be soft
and fragile at this point. An effective way is to insert the scoop
under the eggs, lift it through, and fold the mixture over. Continue
the lifting and folding motion until the eggs are broken up and well
distributed.

8. Add the green onions (and bean sprouts if you prefer them mixed in)
and toss the entire mixture quickly and gently, stll avoiding breaking
the noodles. Cook for about 2 minutes or until onions are tender.

9. Take a large platter spread with bean sprouts (if you left them out
above). Spread Pad Thai from wok over top. Sprinkle ground chilies
(see note) and ground peanuts over the top and squeeze some lime
juice over the top. Or serve toppings separately for each diner to
add according to taste.

Note on chilies: Buy whole dried chiles and grind since pre-ground ones
often lack the “bite” of whole ones. Thai chilies may
be used (_VERY_ hot), or milder American chiles may be
used. The Thai chilies are known as “Prig hang”. They
may also be found in Mexican food sections under the
name “Chiles Arbol”. Use sparingly if you aren’t used
to them as they are quite potent.

Pad Thai (2)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup small cooked shrimp
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 lb rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water for
15 mins. and drained
1 cup bean sprouts

Garnish Ingredients:
1 Tbsp dried shrimp powder
2 Tbsp peanuts, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
2 limes, sliced into rings

Heat oil in a wok and fry garlic until golden. Quickly add the shrimp
and stir-fry until heated through. Add the sugar, fish sauce and ketchup
and stir until sugar dissolves. Add the beaten eggs, letting them set
slightly, then stir to scramble. Add the noodles and toss and stir for
about 2 mins. Reserving about 4 Tbls. of bean sprouts, add the remainder
to the wok. Stir over heat until the bean sprouts are barely cooked.
Turn the Pad Thai onto a platter, placing the reserved, raw bean sprouts
on one side.

Presentation:

Sprinkle the noodles with the garnish ingredients in the following order:
shrimp powder, peanuts, chili flakes, green onions, coriander leaves.
Ring the platter with the lime slices and serve.

From: The Original Thai Cookbook by Jennifer Brennan

Pad Thai (3)

Ingredients:
6 oz vermicelli or rice noodles
2 Tbsp peanut butter
5 Tbsp soy sauce or tamarind
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 scrambled eggs
6 diced scallions
5 cloves pressed garlic
peanuts
1/3 cup vinegar
quartered lime

Cook, rinse and refrigerate the noodles ahead of time.
In a bowl mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, and sugar.

In the wok, saute the scallions and garlic. You can add bean sprouts
at this point too. After a few minutes, add the noodles, and stir-fry
them for about 5 minutes. Then add the mixture in the bowl and the
vinegar. Cook this for a couple more minutes. Lastly, add the eggs
and peanuts, and heat until hot. Serve with the lime wedges on the side.

Pad Thai (4)

Ingredients:
1 pkg (10-16 oz. [.3-.5 kg]) rice stick noodles
2 Tbsp oil (30 ml)
3 (or more) cloves garlic, crushed or minced
8 oz (250 g) Shrimp, peeled (optional)
8 oz (250 g) Chicken, Pork or more Shrimp, diced (optional)
2 or 3 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) bean sprouts
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped/ground peanuts
1 red chile, finely chopped, or 1 tsp (5ml) red pepper flakes
1 cup (250ml) sliced cabbage
Cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup (60 ml) Thai Fish Sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) White Vinegar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) white sugar
3 Tbsp (90 ml) Paprika

Soak the rice noodles in cold water at least two hours before cooking.
Drain.

In a large wok, heat oil and stir-fry garlic for 30 seconds. Add shrimp
and other meat if used.

Add the noodles, and stir-fry until al dente. Add sauce ingredients,
cook to allow most of this to be absorbed (2 minutes or so).

Spread the noodles, etc. out to the sides, and add eggs. Some will crack
the eggs directly into the wok, others will pre-scramble. If cracked
into the pan, start stirring them up when partially cooked, so you get
‘streaky’ yellow and white eggs. As they cook, fold the noodle mixture
back in.

Add 1/2 the bean sprouts, peanuts, red pepper, folded into the mixture.

Serve hot, garnished with the rest of the bean sprouts, chopped cabbage,
cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to be squeezed into the noodles.

In my house, we have doctored this with Thai hot chile sauce, sweet and
sour sauce, or sate-style peanut sauce. It takes to any of these very
well, depending on your tastes.

Pad Thai with Shrimp

Ingredients:
8 oz small size rice noodles
3 Tbsp tomato sauce or tamarind paste
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp pickled radish
3 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup water or chicken stock
1 egg
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 lb shrimp, cleaned and shelled
1 handful bean sprouts (fresh); chopped once or twice
2 oz green onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp finely chopped peanuts

1. Soak the rice noodles in cold tap water about 20 minutes, until
they are “springy”. Then drain in a colander until needed.

2. If using dried tamarind, soak the tamarind in hot water for awhile,
then mash with a fork to soften. Force as much of the mixture as
you can through a seive to remove bits of bark, etc.

3. Heat oil in wok, and add the tamarind/tomato sauce, picked radish,
and sugar. Mix well and let heat up.

4. Add the noodles, small portions at a time, and and that water/stock.
Mix well until all the noodles are coated with the mixture. Add more
liquid if necessary — it will cook out. Don’t be easy on the
noodles — chop them with the spatula or spoon some to separate them.
It may help to “toss” the noodles like a salad, to get them coated.

5. Beat the egg and mix with the noodles. Add the fish sauce and shrimp.
Mix everything thoroughly. The noodles will tend to “clump”, so stir
or “toss” like a salad to get everything mixed, and to ensure that the
egg and shrimp cook thoroughly. It will help to cover the wok with
a lid for a minute or so, then toss the mixture, then cover again.
You’ll know it’s done when the shrimp are completely pink. There may
be a little browning of the noodles; stirring will keep them from
burning.

6. Add the bean sprouts, green onions, and chopped peanuts. Mix well,
then turn off the heat and let stand a minute or so. Serve.