Pad thai-athon

[scrampbell91]

What's your best tip for an authentic pad thai?

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by scrampbell91

What's your best tip for an authentic pad thai?

Hi, and welcome to Discuss Cooking

My best tip? Order takeout I haven't been successful with that dish. There may be others here who have, though.

[Andy M.]

It's not magic. First, you need an authentic recipe and authentic ingredients. Follow the recipe. If it's not right, and it may not be right the first time, try again. Modify the recipe or try another. Eventually, you'll feel the satisfaction of tasting your dish and knowing that's the flavor you've been looking for.

I just happen to have a recipe that makes a Pad Thai we enjoy. Use the block tamarind paste. Get the seedless paste if you can. Stay away from the jarred tamarind if you can.

Pad Thai

3 Tb Tamarind Paste
¾ C Boiling Water
¼ C Fish Sauce
1½ Tb Rice Vinegar
¼ C Sugar
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Tb Oil
8 Oz Dried Rice Stick Noodles
2 Eggs
⅛ tsp Salt
1 Tb Oil
12 Oz Shrimp, (31/35 count)
⅛ tsp Salt
2 Tb Oil
1 tsp Garlic, minced
3 Tb Shallot, minced
2 Tb Dried Shrimp, chopped
2 Tb Thai Salted Preserved Radish, chopped
6 Tb Roasted Unsalted Peanuts
6 Oz Bean Sprouts
5 Scallions, green only, sliced

If using, rehydrate the tamarind paste for 10 minutes then push it through a fine sieve.

Add the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and 2 Tb of oil to the tamarind & set aside.

Before starting to cook, cover the noodles with hot tap water in a large bowl; soak until softened, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the noodles and set aside.

Beat the eggs and ⅛ teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook, tossing occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and browned around the edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok; add the garlic and shallot, set the wok over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1½ minutes;

Add the eggs and stir vigorously until scrambled and barely moist, about 20 seconds.

Add the noodles, dried shrimp and salted radish; toss with 2 wooden spoons to combine.

Pour the sauce over the noodles, increase the heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are evenly coated.

Add ¼ cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but ¼ cup scallions, and cooked shrimp; continue to cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are tender, about 2½ minutes.

Transfer the noodles to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining scallions, 2 tablespoons peanuts; serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately.

[taxlady]

Andy, would that recipe work with something other than shrimp? Stirling doesn't eat arthropods. I do, but I have never cooked them.

[Andy M.]

Sure will, TL. You could use scallops, chicken, beef or pork. You could also do a vegetarian version.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

Sure will, TL. You could use scallops, chicken, beef or pork. You could also do a vegetarian version.

Thanks. Copied and pasted.

[PrincessFiona60]

Thanks Andy!

[scrampbell91]

Wow, thanks Andy! I'll give that a try. I generally prefer chicken in my pad thai but seafood or veg sounds interesting.

GotGarlic, that's often been my approach when I've crashed and burned!

[GLC]

I like the first answer. There are a couple of things I rarely do, because, for two people, they (1) take more prep than I want, and (2) the "native" just do it better. So when I want Pad Thai, I'm off to the Thai-Thai restaurant. Same for some Tex-Mex dishes.

[taxlady]

GLC, I tend to agree with you about when to leave it to the experts. Unfortunately, the local Thai place that has take out and delivery isn't great. It's part of a chain. I also have food restrictions (for health reasons) that limit my choices a lot, when it comes to resto meals. It's nice to have extra options at home, for when the cooking blahs kick in.

[Steve Kroll]

We make Pad Thai at home. I don't find it to be anymore difficult than throwing together a stir fry.

Pad Thai is also one of the few dishes that I think makes a great vehicle for tofu. It absorbs the wonderful flavors of the sauce.

[Cheryl J]

I'm going to make a cheat version of this tomorrow. I've never made Pad Thai, and have only had it a couple of times in restaurants years ago. It's been in the back of my mind for a while, and a few months ago I impulse bought a bottle of ready made sauce from our tiny little Asian market. It's been sitting in the cupboard since then. I know it won't be an authentic dish, but I hope this sauce is a decent sub.

The ingredients are tamarind paste, shallots, garlic, rice bean oil, dried chiles, and sugar.



With the exception of the dried shrimp and salted preserved radish, I have everything else on Andy's list on hand. Just cooking for one here, so for my first time making it I didn't want to buy a lot of ingredients I may not ever use again. I'm hoping this will be tasty and inspire me to try a more authentic dish sometime.