Pad Thai

Name: Pad Thai
Ingredients: 8 ounces rice sticks, ideally 1/8-inch wide; 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1-2 teaspoons Thai hot sauce (or to taste); 1½ tablespoons canola oil; 3 cloves garlic , minced (1 tablespoon); 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or galangal; 4 scallions , whites minced, greens cut into ½-inch pieces for garnish; 1 or 2 hot chilies , seeded and minced; 4 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced across the grain; 4 ounces shrimp , peeled, deveined, and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 red or yellow bell pepper , cored, seeded, and diced; 1 medium-sized onion , thinly sliced; 2 carrots , peeled and thinly sliced; 2 cups mung bean sprouts; 3 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts , for garnish

Chef

Steven Raichlen

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Cookbook

Bold & Healthy Flavors

Published by Black Dog & Leventhal

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Pad thai, or stir-fried noodles, is one of the national dishes of Thailand. My version uses less oil than the original, but it’s tasty enough to have become a once-a-week special at our house.

Serves4

Cooking Methodstir-frying

CostModerate

Total Timeunder 2 hours

Recipe Coursemain course

Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, tree nut free

Mealdinner

Taste and Texturenutty, salty, sweet, tart

Ingredients

8 ounces rice sticks, ideally 1/8-inch wide
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 teaspoons Thai hot sauce (or to taste)
1½ tablespoons canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or galangal
4 scallions, whites minced, greens cut into ½-inch pieces for garnish
1 or 2 hot chilies, seeded and minced
4 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced across the grain
4 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups mung bean sprouts
3 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts, for garnish

Instructions

Soak the rice sticks in cold water to cover for 30 minutes, or until pliable. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and hot sauce in a small bowl and whisk to mix.
Just before serving, drain the rice sticks. Heat a wok over high heat. Swirl in the oil. Add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and chilies, and stir-fry for 15 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the chicken, shrimp, pepper, onion, and carrots, and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
Stir in the rice sticks and bean sprouts, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the sauce and cook for 30 seconds, or until the rice sticks are tender.
Correct the seasoning, adding fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar to taste. The dish should be a little sweet, a little sour, and a little salty. Transfer the pad thai to a platter or plates. Sprinkle with the scallion greens and peanuts, and serve at once.