Pad Thai
Serves 4
This deluxe version of Thai fried noodles is just as tasty if
you omit the meat and the shrimp. Fish sauce is made from salted
fish and is a common ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cooking.
Use it sparingly, and select a lighter variety for less pungency.
Smoked and baked tofu has more flavor and a firmer texture than
regular tofu. Be sure to have all the ingredients ready before firing
up your wok or frying pan.
8 oz. wide, flat “Ban Pho†style rice noodles (about half the
package)
Sauce:
3 Tbs. lemon or lime juice
2-3 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. sugar
Garnishes:
2 oz. bean sprouts
3 Tbs. roasted peanuts, crushed
3 Tbs. green onions, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lemon or lime, quartered
2-3 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz. smoked and baked tofu, cubed
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vegetable oil
Soak the rice noodles in enough warm water to cover while you prepare
the other ingredients (at least 15 minutes).
Combine the lemon or lime juice, the fish sauce, and the sugar
in a measuring cup. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frypan
over high heat. Briefly fry the garlic (don’t let it burn!), then
add the meat, and stir fry until cooked through. Add the shrimp
and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or just until they begin to turn pink
and curl. Stir in the cubed tofu.
Reduce heat and add the sauce ingredients; stir gently until the
sugar dissolves.Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander, add
to the wok or frypan, and stir until they soften and mix well with
the other ingredients. Remove the wok or frypan from the heat.
In a separate pan (preferably non-stick), scramble the eggs in
the teaspoon of oil. Mix the cooked eggs, peanuts, bean sprouts,
and onions with the noodles in the wok. Garnish with the lime wedges
and chopped cilantro before serving. Extending the Table Cookbook
