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Preview: Pad Thaiby Dawn T in Rouxbe Videos Almost all of the work that goes into making Pad Thai is done in advance, which is why it’s a great dish to make when having friends over for dinner.
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Step 1: Soaking the Noodles
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To prepare the dry noodles, soak them in cold water, pushing them down so they are completely covered. Let soak for about an hour, or until pliable. |
Step 2: Making the Sauce
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First, roughly chop the palm sugar, and then place into a pot, along with the fish sauce, tamarind pulp, soy sauce and Thai chili powder. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Once the sugar has fully melted, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
Related Drill-downs |
Step 3: Preparing the Rest of the Mise en Place
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Preheat your oven to 350º degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the peanuts for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden; set aside to cool. Squeeze out the excess water from the tofu, and then cut into bite-size pieces. Cut the green onions into 2-inch pieces. Mince the pickled radish and set aside. Grind the dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle (or finely chop). Clean and de-vein the prawns. Set yourself up to cook the first batch. Get the bean sprouts, crack one of the eggs and measure out half of the chicken stock. Pulse the peanuts in a food processor a few times, until roughly chopped. Set some of the peanuts aside for garnish and place the rest into a separate bowl to be used in the pad Thai. Roll the lime, applying some pressure to help release the juices. Slice the lime in half width wise, and then slice each half into 4 pieces.
Related Drill-downs |
Step 4: Cooking the Pad Thai
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Before you start cooking drain the rice noodles. Line up your ingredients in order of use, remembering to add only half of everything because Pad Thai must be cooked in smaller batches. Heat a wok over high heat. Make sure it is nice and hot. When the wok starts to smoke, add the peanut oil. Begin by cooking the tofu until it just starts to turn golden. Next, add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Then add about 2 handfuls of the noodles and toss for about 30 seconds to coat them in the oil. Add about three quarters of the stock. Once the stock reduces down, test a noodle to see if it’s cooked. Add more stock if they are still a bit too firm. Move the noodles aside and drizzle the side of the wok with a bit more oil. Add the egg and let set for about 10 seconds. Scramble it slightly then fold it into the noodles. Move the noodles aside once again, add a touch more oil, and then add the prawns. Let them cook for a minute or so, flipping them over so they cook on both sides. Once they look cooked on the outside, stir everything together. Immediately turn off the heat and add about 4 tablespoons of the sauce. Sprinkle with some of the dried shrimp, pickled radish, a few peanuts and toss. Just before serving, add the green onions, a few handfuls of bean sprouts and fold everything together. To finish, garnish with some of the peanuts, and a squeeze of fresh lime. You can also add some fresh cilantro if you like. |
Step 5: The Second Batch
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Before you cook the second batch, measure out the rest of the oil, crack another egg, and have your chicken stock ready. Rinse out the wok with warm water and wipe it clean with some paper towel. Follow the same order as before. |
Notes
The amounts in this recipe are really just a very loose guide. You may want to add more fish sauce, tamarind or bean sprouts…whatever. You may even want to add more sauce to the Pad Thai; it's all up to you. Once you make it a few times, you’ll know what your preferences are.
Serving chili powder, limes, peanuts and sugar on the side is how it's done in Thailand. You can even serve extra fish sauce and hot sauce, so guests can add what they like.
The best advice I can give when cooking Pad Thai, is just to have everything ready before you start cooking. Then get your wok nice and hot and away you go.
Most recipes do not add chicken stock, but it is the way I learned to do it in Thailand (I even have the cute pink apron to prove it…ha ha). It’s just a fool proof way of cooking the noodles. If you add the sauce right away there is greater potential for sticking. Another bit of advice…don’t add the green onions and bean sprouts until you are ready to sit down and eat. Pad Thai is at its best when it's made and eaten immediately.
Soaking the Noodles:
Many recipes say to soak the noodles in warm or even hot water. I have found soaking them in cold water is a foolproof way to never over soak them. You can even soak them overnight if they are placed in cold water.
If you are in a panic though…you can soak them for about 10 to 15 minutes in warm water. Just make sure to take them out once they are pliable, otherwise they will become mushy. Any leftover noodles will keep for quite a few days in the refrigerator.
Making the Sauce:
Thai chili powder is simply ground Thai chilies. It adds a nice bit of heat to the sauce. If you cannot find Thai chili powder, you could use Sriracha sauce or a pinch or two of cayenne. Just don’t substitute with the American version of chili sauce, as it contains extra flavorings, such as black pepper and oregano.
We use about 4 tablespoons of sauce per batch, but really it’s up to you how much you use. The sauce can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated. Try to remember to bring it to room temperature before you use it.
Pickled Radish/Turnip:
Thai pickled radish is not the same as Chinese picked radish. It is optional in this recipe but it adds a nice texture.
Dried Shrimp:
A mortar and pestle works really well for breaking up the dried shrimp. A food processor or chefs knife are isn't recommended, but they will work. Just be sure to chop them really well, as the dried shrimp can be quite hard.
Cooking the Pad Thai:
Before you start cooking, it’s important that all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
Peanut oil is used due to its mild taste and high smoke point (over 450°F).
If using chicken, add it to the wok before you add the tofu. Let it cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the tofu (if using) and proceed with the recipe.
Cook only 1-2 portions at a time, just like they do in Thailand. Smaller portions are key to the success of this recipe.
The wok:
A quality, well seasoned wok is essential for the success of your Pad Thai. If foods stick when you normally cook with it, the Pad Thai will stick even worse. The wok we used was a heavy cast iron wok. I believe it is considered to be a “Western Style” cast iron wok. The advantage to this wok is that it retains the heat really well. However, that can sometimes be a disadvantage, because it stays so hot you have to be more careful, since you cannot adjust the heat so quickly. That is why I turn off the wok after the prawns are cooked. My cast iron wok also weighs a ton…but I am happy with it.
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Comments
You left out the stock in the second batch.
It's there, you may have missed it.
In the first batch, the stock is added immediately after the noodles cook. In the second, the stock is listed in the prep, but is never added. The video shows the cook going from the noodles straight to adding the egg.
What's the difference between prawns and shrimp? Does it matter in a recipe?
Certainly not a dumb question. In fact, I had to do a little research myself to help you out and I'm still not sure. I always referred to smaller shrimp as shrimp and larger shrimp as prawns... go figure..:) - a statement that clearly highlights my own confusion. And I've cooked for 25 years professionally.
Nevertheless, I found this blog article that might (or might not help) shed some light on the issue for those of you that are curious. Note: quite long.
http://elyclarifies.blogspot.com/2005/03/shrimp-vs-prawns.html (cut and paste).
I guess it comes down to gill structure, if you can believe it.
And other than cooking time, it won't make any difference in most recipes.
This is a very delicous dish! My family enjoyed it a LOT. :)
anyways regarding the missing stock in the second batch. yes it is true...I've gone over that part for five times...must be some glitch.
Thank you to all the sharp eyes that noticed our oversight but as you'll see the glitch has been fixed and you now see the stock being added as per the recipe. It's great to know people are watching the videos so closely, especially when you see how many sets of eyes here missed it. We are only human after all but you've got us wondering if we missed anything else.
Thanks for noticing, now tell us how much you loved the dish.
Made this for dinner.........it was awesome! We always order this when we go out for Thai, and this recipe (we all thought) was better
Thanks!
This is the first dish we made on rouxbe and I must say it was great! We ended up tweaking our second batch by cutting out the dry shrimp. In my opinion Pad Thai shouldn't taste fishy.
If the quality of your dried shrimp is large/plump and moist they really add to the flavour of Pad Thai and are not fishy at all.
Actually it is not about the size! t is about the shell and legs.
Crustaceans are Arthropods that have an ecoskeleton (like a permanent suit of armour). It's not water tight however, which differentiates them
from insects. Crustaceans also have gills and a special aquatic larval stage.
Dividing Crustaceans up gives us 6 classes. Basically, these groups cover:
* Copepods (planktonic swimmies)
* Ostrocods (small marine swimmies)
* Branchiopods (brine shrimp and Daphnia)
* Barnacles
* Branchiurans (parastic)
* Malacostracans (lobster, crabs, woodlice etc.)
It's the Malaconstracans you've asked about, so they divide even further (a very diverse group!)
Here we have Isopods, Amphipods and Decapods. It's the Decapods (meaning 10 legs) that contain all the lobsters, crabs, shrimp and prawns.
So, Mantis shrimp, king prawns, and snapping shrimp are all Decapods (think of that classic "prawn" body plan - long slender body with lots of legs and the head at the front with all the antennae). They're all quite closely related - at least with respect to their "order". After "order", we divide organisms up into "family", then "genus" and "species".
I hope this quickly explains the Phylum Crustacea...to answer your question in one statement:
Prawns and shrimp are very closely related - belonging to the same order (Decapoda). Both can occur in marine, estuarine and freshwater environments, depending in the species in question.
If you look carefully and examine them you can see the difference if it matters to you.
Me- I prefer the sweet flavour of fresh water prawn-just had them barbecued in Bangkok-gorgeous and yummy with loads of garlic. But for Tom Yum smaller shrimp in the shell works perfectly.
I just made this & the cucumber sunimono (sp?) salad and loved them both! The only problem I had is the noodles & the eggs were sticking to my wok. I know I used plenty of oil, but both batches had the same problem. I had to scrape noodles & eggs off my wok when I cleaned my kitchen. Any suggestions?
Two things are really important to avoid sticking.
1) the wok and oil have to be very hot before adding your ingredients - just to the smoking point.
2) your wok should be well "seasoned". Seasoning a wok is a bit tricky but it is very important. You season a wok (or pan) by heating with oil for a long time. When heated, the metal expands and opens up the pores in the metal. The oil can then go into the pours to lubricate it. If your wok (or pan) is not heated through before adding the noodles, when the metal expands, it will expose non lubricated surfaces that LOVE starchy noodles and eggs.
I found some types through google:
http://www.ehow.com/how_1176_season-wok.html
Keep in mind, the quality of your Wok is also important. And you never want to season a non-stick wok.
I ended up buying Tamarind concentrate (didn't realize it) and added the 6 tbsp. to the sauce. Whew! Way too strong. So I threw out that batch and started over. I guessed and only used 1 tbsp. and it turned out delish! I only found M sized noodles as well. I think my next step is to find a good Asian store in Arizona!
Tamarind concentrate is much stronger than the brick of tamarind (the one you soak). Good thing you realized this before you made the Pad Thai, thanks for pointing that out...great tip.
Medium sized noodles will also work fine, if you cannot find the larger size. In fact some restaurants only use the medium size.
Finding a good Asian store in your neighborhood is also a great idea. When I really started to get into Thai food I found the ingredients hard to find, so I called all of the local Thai restaurants and asked them where they bought their ingredients. I now have several stores to choose.
When I lived in Australia, prawns were the larger of the beast. Shrimp were the little guys, as their name implies.
The key to this smokin' recipe has to be the tamarind paste that is the foundation of the entire thing. I have now done it twice, and each time, although slightly different, got astonishing responses from some of my most experienced (read critical) and well travelled foodie friends. And do make certain you make the effort to hunt down the palm sugar - it really is different than anything more readily available out there...
Sorry if this sound silly, but what do u mean by "never want to season a non-stick wok"?
I used a non-stick wok to cook the dish and I had also "oil-ed" the rice noodle a little bit before cooking. Anyways, me and husband love the dish and this is only my first attempt!!!