Shrimp Pad Thai
By Annie PetitoPublished on September 26, 2016
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
⅓ cup distilled white vinegar 1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced into thin ringsStir-Fry
Salt Sugar 2 radishes, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch by ¼-inch matchsticks8 ounces (¼-inch-wide) rice noodles 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil ¼ cup fish sauce 3 tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate 1 pound large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined4 scallions, white and light green parts minced, dark green parts cut into 1-inch lengths1 garlic clove, minced4 large eggs, beaten4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped coarseLime wedgesBefore You Begin
Since pad thai cooks very quickly, prepare everything before you begin to cook. Use the time during which the radishes and noodles soak to prepare the other ingredients. We recommend using a tamarind juice concentrate made in Thailand in this recipe. If you cannot find tamarind, substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 1/2 tablespoons water and omit the lime wedges. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the rice noodles. Even if the package directions suggest boiling rice noodles, we strongly recommend that you merely soak them in the boiling hot water. The soaking time will be longer but there's no risk of overcooking these delicate noodles; while the noodles soak, you can prep the other ingredients.
Instructions
- Combine ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar and 1 stemmed and sliced serrano chile in bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
- Combine ¼ cup water, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon sugar in small bowl. Microwave until steaming, about 30 seconds. Add 2 radishes, cut into 1½-inch by ¼-inch matchsticks, and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Bring 6 cups water to boil. Place 8 ounces wide rice noodles in large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles. Stir, then let soak until noodles are almost tender, about 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through soaking. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Drain noodles well, then toss with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil.
- Combine ¼ cup fish sauce, 3 tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate, and 3 tablespoons sugar in bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.
- Peel and devein 1 pound large shrimp. Remove tails from 4 shrimp. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ½-inch pieces. Toss shrimp pieces with ⅛ teaspoon table salt and ⅛ teaspoon sugar. Arrange pieces in single layer on large plate and microwave at 50 percent power until shrimp are dried and have reduced in size by half, 4 to 5 minutes. (Check halfway through microwaving and separate any pieces that may have stuck together.)
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add dried shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
- Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add minced whites of 4 scallions and 1 minced garlic clove and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with dried shrimp.
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add remaining whole shrimp and spread into even layer. Cook, without stirring, until shrimp turn opaque and brown around edges, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Push shrimp to sides of skillet. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to center, then add 4 lightly beaten large eggs to center. Using silicone spatula, stir eggs gently and cook until set but still wet. Stir eggs into shrimp and continue to cook, breaking up large pieces of egg, until eggs are fully cooked, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp-egg mixture to bowl with scallion-garlic mixture and dried shrimp.
- Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add noodles and sauce and toss with tongs to coat. Cook, stirring and tossing often, until noodles are tender and have absorbed sauce, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer noodles to bowl with shrimp mixture. Add 2 teaspoons chile vinegar, drained radishes, greens of 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, and 2 cups bean sprouts and toss to combine. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with ¼ cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges and remaining chile vinegar separately.
for the chile vinegar
for the stir-fry
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
Stir-Fry
Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
Stir-Fry
Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
Stir-Fry
Why This Recipe Works
Thai cuisine is known for its symphony of salty, sweet, and sour flavors, and this hugely popular street food is no different. In our version, we achieved those flavors with a careful balance of fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind juice concentrate. Lime juice squeezed over the finished dish, along with a quick-to-make chile vinegar, added even more tangy kick. Soaking rice noodles in boiling water, versus cooking them in the hot water, prevented the delicate strands from getting too soft. Shrimp and egg bulked up the dish while bean sprouts, scallion greens, and peanuts added crunch.
Before You Begin
Since pad thai cooks very quickly, prepare everything before you begin to cook. Use the time during which the radishes and noodles soak to prepare the other ingredients. We recommend using a tamarind juice concentrate made in Thailand in this recipe. If you cannot find tamarind, substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 1/2 tablespoons water and omit the lime wedges. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the rice noodles. Even if the package directions suggest boiling rice noodles, we strongly recommend that you merely soak them in the boiling hot water. The soaking time will be longer but there's no risk of overcooking these delicate noodles; while the noodles soak, you can prep the other ingredients.
Instructions
- Combine ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar and 1 stemmed and sliced serrano chile in bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
- Combine ¼ cup water, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon sugar in small bowl. Microwave until steaming, about 30 seconds. Add 2 radishes, cut into 1½-inch by ¼-inch matchsticks, and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Bring 6 cups water to boil. Place 8 ounces wide rice noodles in large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles. Stir, then let soak until noodles are almost tender, about 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through soaking. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Drain noodles well, then toss with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil.
- Combine ¼ cup fish sauce, 3 tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate, and 3 tablespoons sugar in bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.
- Peel and devein 1 pound large shrimp. Remove tails from 4 shrimp. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ½-inch pieces. Toss shrimp pieces with ⅛ teaspoon table salt and ⅛ teaspoon sugar. Arrange pieces in single layer on large plate and microwave at 50 percent power until shrimp are dried and have reduced in size by half, 4 to 5 minutes. (Check halfway through microwaving and separate any pieces that may have stuck together.)
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add dried shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
- Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add minced whites of 4 scallions and 1 minced garlic clove and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with dried shrimp.
- Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add remaining whole shrimp and spread into even layer. Cook, without stirring, until shrimp turn opaque and brown around edges, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Push shrimp to sides of skillet. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to center, then add 4 lightly beaten large eggs to center. Using silicone spatula, stir eggs gently and cook until set but still wet. Stir eggs into shrimp and continue to cook, breaking up large pieces of egg, until eggs are fully cooked, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp-egg mixture to bowl with scallion-garlic mixture and dried shrimp.
- Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add noodles and sauce and toss with tongs to coat. Cook, stirring and tossing often, until noodles are tender and have absorbed sauce, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer noodles to bowl with shrimp mixture. Add 2 teaspoons chile vinegar, drained radishes, greens of 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, and 2 cups bean sprouts and toss to combine. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with ¼ cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges and remaining chile vinegar separately.
for the chile vinegar
for the stir-fry
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