The Best Pad Thai Food

EASY PAD THAI RECIPE ( CHICKEN, SHRIMP OR TOFU)

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package instructions (or place rice noodles in a shallow bowl or baking dish and boil enough water to cover them. Cover with boiling water for 7- 8 minutes, until tender, then drain. They don't have to be totally soft, just bendy and pliable)
• shallot, garlic and ginger and set aside.
• the two eggs in a bowl with a fork and add a generous, 3-finger pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Whisk fish sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. (see notes) in a small bowl. Set aside.
• slice chicken into very thin strips and season with salt and pepper. Crispy Tofu: Blot tofu with paper towels pressing down firmly. Cut tofu into ¾ inch cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and for extra crispy, dredge in a little corn starch. Shrimp: Peel and season with salt and pepper. COOK: Sear the seasoned chicken, shrimp or tofu in a wok with hot oil until cooked through over medium-high heat. Set aside, on top of a paper towel, wipe out the pan. Turn heat off.
• Gather your chopped shallots, whisked eggs, cooked noodles, cooked protein and Pad Thai sauce around the stove. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in the wok over medium heat, add shallot-garlic-ginger and stir, cooking just a few minutes until golden and fragrant.
• Make a well in the center of the wok, scooting the shallot mixture to the side of the pan, add the whisked eggs. With a metal spatula, scramble them and break them apart into little bits, letting them brown just a little, and incorporate them into the shallots continuing to break them into small bits.
• Add the drained, semi-soft noodles and toss with the egg mixture, stirring, flipping, frying constantly for 3-4 minutes until noodles become soft and pliable.
• and cook 1 minute. It will smell quite fishy at first - turn your fan on - but it will mellow out perfectly. Add the cooked chicken, tofu or shrimp and turn and toss the noodles for a few more minutes. Cook until the noodles are soft (but still a little chewy) adding just a little water if it seems too dry.
• and roasted peanuts (or serve on the side) and sprinkle with chili flakes and scallions. Squeeze with a little lime juice. Taste. Adjust salt, lime and sweetness to your liking adding a pinch of salt, more lime or more a pinch more sugar to taste. Give one more toss and serve immediately. Divide among two plates.
• with more bean sprouts, fresh scallions, cilantro or basil, chili flakes, lime wedges and roasted crushed peanuts. Or make this Peanut Chili Crunch!

THE BEST SHRIMP PAD THAI

Steps:

• Cook the noodles according to package instructions and set aside.
• Stir together the fish sauce, brown sugar, tamarind concentrate, lime juice and sriracha in a small bowl until well combined.
• 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 shrimp and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Push to the side with the tofu, allowing the excess oil to drip down into the middle of the skillet. Add 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 shrimp. Add the peppers to the skillet and cook just to soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the noodles, scallions, bean sprouts and sauce to the skillet. Incorporate the tofu, shrimp and egg into the ingredients and stir fry, coating the ingredients with the sauce and simmering to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the stir-fry to a serving dish and top with chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

CHICKEN PAD THAI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Make the sauce by combining the tamarind paste mixture, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar, and chili sauce. Stir well to dissolve. Taste-test for a tangy balance between sweet and sour. Add more sugar if too sour or more tamarind if too sweet.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and dunk in rice noodles. Stir to separate. Only cook until they are limp but still firm and slightly crunchy (they will finish cooking later in the pan).
• Drain the noodles and rinse well with cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
• Place the chicken in a small bowl. Stir together the soy sauce and cornstarch and pour over the chicken. Stir well and set aside.
• Preheat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil followed by the garlic and minced chili, if using. Stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds).
• Add the marinated chicken. When the wok or pan becomes dry, add the chicken stock. Stir-fry 5 to 7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
• Add the drained noodles and pour the prepared sauce over. Using two utensils or chopsticks, use a gentle "lift and turn" method to fry the noodles (like tossing a salad). Stir-fry in this way 5 minutes, or until the noodles are chewy. If you find your pan too dry, add a little more oil.
• Add the bean sprouts and continue frying for 1 more minute, or until the noodles are cooked. The noodles are done when they taste chewy and a little sticky. Taste-test for seasoning, adding more fish sauce until your desired flavor is reached (you can add up to 1 tablespoon fish sauce).
• Top with generous sprinklings of fresh cilantro, green onion, and crushed/chopped nuts. Serve with fresh lime wedges on the side.

THE BEST PAD THAI

Steps:

• Optional garnishes: sprigs of fresh cilantro and lime wedges
• Soak rice noodles in cold water for at least 1 hour (noodles can be soaked longer and even over night). Drain and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine tamarind juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and ketchup. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok, add garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add shrimp, tofu and egg. Stir-fry for 1 minute, until egg is scrambled. Add rice noodles and tamarind juice mixture. Stir-fry all ingredients until well cooked and combined. Serve with bean sprouts on the side, peanuts sprinkled over the top, with fresh cilantro and lime wedge garnishes.

PAD THAI

Steps:

• Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
• Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute chicken until browned. Remove, and set aside. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in chicken, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.