Pad Thai

If you read my entry about chicken in coconut sauce or potato curry, then you know that I love ethnic food.  You’ll also know that because I live in the Mississippi Delta, this love of ethnic food has to manifest itself in me attempting to make my own ethnic food, since there is a severe lack of interesting restaurants down here.  It works out though, if I was still living in the North I don’t think I would have attempted to make my own pad thai, I probably would have just gone out to get some, so it evens out.  Katie loves ethnic food as well (especially pad thai), so my adventures are encouraged, and luckily they have usually ended in success.

While there is a severe lack of interesting restaurants down here, there is also a severe lack of ethnic ingredients as well.  In making this pad thai, I had to use those rice stick noodles (the really really skinny ones) because I couldn’t find the flat rice noodles.  Oh well, it still turned out amazing!  If you’re a vegetarian, try substituting tofu for the chicken and shrimp and substituting water or vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package dried flat rice noodles

3 tbsp fish sauce (don’t let the nasty smell throw you off, it will taste delicious in the end)

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 1/2 tbsp Asian chile garlic paste (basically the most amazing stuff ever)

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 eggs, beaten

4 cups bean sprouts (about 2 cans)

6 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Fill a large bowl with hot water and place the noodles in it to soak for 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, oyster sauce, chile garlic paste and chicken stock. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, stir in garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add shrimp and chicken; cook, stirring constantly until shrimp is opaque and chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Move everything in the wok out to the sides and pour the eggs in the center. Cook and stir the eggs until firm. Add the noodles to the wok and pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are tender. Add a bit more water if needed to finish cooking the noodles. Stir in bean sprouts and green onions. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped peanuts. Taste for seasoning, adjusting the spice or lime juice if needed.

5. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges on the side.