Thread: Thai Recipes

Pad Thai


Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

* 12 Jumbo Shrimp
* 3 oz. Dry Rice Noodle (3 - 5 mm)
* 2 oz. Fresh Bean Sprouts
* 1 oz. Chopped (1") Green Onion
* fish sauce to taste
* 3 oz. Oyster Sauce
* 3 Vinegar
* 2 Tablespoons Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Preserved Turnip
* 2 Tablespoons Crushed Peanuts
* 1 Tablespoon Paprika
* 2 Large Eggs
* 1 Teaspoon Red Chili(if you like it HOT)
* 1/2 Lemon

Technique

Pre-soak the noodles for at least 30 minutes in room temperature water. They should be soft yet firm.

Heat and season the wok. Add the Shrimp and grill for 90 seconds. Add the Eggs. When the eggs are not quite finished, add the Noodles, Sugar, Peanuts, Turnips and Paprika. Stir Fry for approximately 45 seconds or until all ingredients are mixed together and the noodles are wilted. Add the Fish Sauce, Oyster Sauce and vinegar. Follow with the Bean Sprouts, Green Onions and Red Chili. Stir fry quickly ensuring everything in mixed together. If you like wet noodle dishes de glaze with 5 oz. water stock. If you like firmer dry noddles de glaze with only 2 oz. water stock.

Place on Serving plate and garnish with more Bean Sprouts and a Lemon wedge.

Spicy beef salad (Yum Nua Yang)
#Beef – 500 grams of any very lean cut. Top round, London broil, Chateaubriand; about 3 – 4 cm thick.
#A few good clean leaves of a green leaf Lettuce (stay away from iceberg here)
#120 grams Plum tomatoes (up to you more or less) in small, half wedges (halve the thing across then wedge the halves) if they're small just cut int small wedges
#Juice from 2 – 3 limes
#About 3- 4 tbsp fish sauce (get that laughing baby brand if you can)
#Chilies- about 20 – 30 Thai chilies Sliced or crushed. Crushed is best but slicing can be quicker; crush 'em in a mortar and pestle (I think Thai salads should be spicy, if you don't; reduce this BUT DON'T leave 'em out!! The salad should be slightly uncomfortable to stop eating (slow burn) I figure this recipe is a med-hot)
#1 medium yellow onion (halved and thinly sliced length-wise) Should be nice and thin.
#2 – 3 Green onions (Slap 'em, pretty hard, with the side of your cleaver or large knife and cut into 3cm pieces use all the fresh parts green and white
#1 med cucumber. Peeled (partially or completely) and sliced about 4 mm thick.
#3 – 4 stalks Chinese (very thin stalks) celery Coarsely chopped
#Good hand full of fresh sweet Basil leaves (Horapa), You might want to tear the larger leaves (or not)
#small handful of Pak Chee Cilantro/coriander leaves
#small handful of Mint leaves.

Marinate the beef for a couple of hours, if you like, (I like a tamarind juice based marinade with a bit of fish sauce (soy??) and some garlic and Ginger NO SUGAR!!!) Grill on a slow – medium fire 'til about med or medium well remove to set.

In a BIG bowl combine the veggies, except the lettuce, and drizzle the lime and fish sauce over it toss well.

Once the beef is only warm, slice about 4 – 5 mm thick. Add to the bowl and toss.

Arrange the lettuce on a platter and dump the mixture out onto the lettuce.

Serve with sticky rice on the side and lots of cold beer. This is definitely beer food!!!


Some notes:
In most of Thailand's restaurants you'll not get salad with the basil or mint. In the few where I did get it it added such savory flavors I have included them here.
The amount of juice in a lime varies according to season and variety get a good handful at the market and add directly from the fruit until the mixture tastes god to you.
Some cooks add a tiny bit of sugar. I don't recommend it but, up to you.
You can eliminate the beef and use squid (yum pla muk) or shrimp (you pla goong) or a mixture of mussels, clams, shrimp, squid and some mild whitefish (yum talay)
I am writing this from memory, not as I make it or from any book, so adjust as you go according to your tastes.
What the hell, it's Thai food. Make substitutions and additions The Thais certainly aren't that all that consistent.