Vapid Thumbtack: Recipes

The local Thai restaurant turns out a nicely spicy Pad Thai, but this version is light and citrus-based rather than overly oily. This recipe has been adapted from Big Bowl: Noodles and Rice, by Bruce Cost. As a note, every dish (including beef with chinese noodles and basil) that we've adapted from this cookbook has involved drastically less oil than called for in the original recipe. In this case, 4 Tablespoons vs 1 Cup!

Chicken Pad Thai

7 oz pad thai noodles^[1]
One whole chicken breast, cut into thin strips^[2]
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice^[3]
2 Tablespoons Thai chili sauce^[4]
2 Tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground dried red chile^[5]
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 eggs, lightly beaten
peanut oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (just the greens!)
1/2 cup sweet basil, chopped^[6]
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped^[7]
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, chopped^[8]
1 cup fresh bean sprouts^[9]
two limes, wedged

Pour hot tap water over the pad thai noodles and let soak until soft^[10]. If they aren't softened by the time they are to be added to the sauce, pour boiling water over them.

Thinly slice the chicken and mix it with the sesame oil, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.

Mix the lime juice, chili sauce, fish sauce, ground chiles, brown sugar, and paprika in a small bowl^[11] and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of peanut oil over medium-high heat in a wok. Scramble the egg in the wok. Remove the egg when firm^[12] and set aside.

Clean the wok^[13], then add four tablespoons of peanut oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken and stir-fry until the outside surfaces are all white. Add the scallions, toss to coat with the oil, then add the egg and toss again to break up the egg pieces.

Add the softened noodles to the wok and toss to coat with the oil. Continue tossing until the noodle mixture is hot, then add the fish sauce mixture (stir it first, though, or there will be brown sugar in the bottom of the bowl)^[14]. Toss until the noodles are coated in sauce and remove from heat.

Add the peanuts, cilantro, and basil, and toss to combine, then add the bean sprouts just before serving. Serve with lime wedges.

[1] Rice flour noodles, about 1/4" thick, are commonly sold as 'pad thai noodles'. I sometimes go thinner.
[2] Pork and turkey are good substitutes.
[3] I like more lime juice - usually around 3 Tablespoons - because I really like lime juice. Two tablespoons is more balanced, however.
[4] Bottled Thai chili sauce is often sold under the name 'siracha'. As always, my chili sauce may be hotter than your chili sauce, so experiment!
[5] I cheat sometimes and use ground cayenne pepper out of the spice rack.
[6] Either sweet or Thai basil can be used, but I generally just wash the leaves, stack them, roll them up, and slice them into strips.
[7] I hate cilantro stems, so I stem them during washing and rarely find a leaf big enough to cut in half.
[8] Planter's unsalted dry-roasted peanuts chop very well both in a coffee grinder (pulse, rather than continuous action) or in a quick-chopper.
[9] These are optional. I don't like them very much, personally.
[10] Soft rice noodles feel a lot like cooked wheat noodles. If they get too soft, however, they will simply dissolve.
[11] I use my 'Perfect Beaker', as it has tablespoon markings on the side for the liquids. This way, I only measure the dry spices.
[12] This doesn't take very long at all, so try to avoid browning the egg any. Removing the egg before it's completely set is my preference.
[13] A wet papertowel works really well for getting extra egg goo off the wok.
[14] And, as the brown sugar is essential to maintaining the proper balance of Hot (chili), Sour (lime), Salty (fish sauce), and Sweet (sugar), make sure that sugar's in the wok!

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