Shrimp Pad Thai for Two
By Annie PetitoPublished on September 27, 2016
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
⅓ cup distilled white vinegar 1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced into thin ringsStir-Fry
Salt Sugar 1 radish, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch by ¼-inch matchsticks4 ounces (¼-inch-wide) rice noodles 5 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 ½ tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate 8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined2 scallions, white and light green parts minced, dark green parts cut into 1-inch lengths1 garlic clove, minced2 large eggs, beaten2 ounces (1 cup) bean sprouts 2 tablespoons 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 radish 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 2 1/4 teaspoons lime juice and 2 1/4 teaspoons water and omit the lime wedges.
Instructions
- Combine vinegar and chile in bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
- Combine 2 tablespoons water, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon sugar in small bowl. Microwave until steaming, about 20 seconds. Add radish and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Bring 3 cups water to boil. Place 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 1 teaspoon oil.
- Combine fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.
- Remove tails from 2 shrimp. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss shrimp pieces with pinch salt and pinch 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, 3 to 4 minutes. (Check halfway through microwaving and separate any pieces that may have stuck together.)
- Heat 1 teaspoon 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 1/2 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add minced scallions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with dried shrimp.
- Heat 1 teaspoon 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 1 teaspoon oil to center, then add eggs to center. Using rubber 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 1 teaspoon 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 1 teaspoon chile vinegar, drained radish, scallion greens, and bean sprouts and toss to combine.
- Transfer to platter and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges and remaining chile vinegar separately.
for the chile vinegar
for the stir-fry
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 2Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
Stir-Fry
Salt
Sugar
1 radish, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch by ¼-inch matchsticks
4 ounces (¼-inch-wide) rice noodles
5 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ½ tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate
8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 scallions, white and light green parts minced, dark green parts cut into 1-inch lengths
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, beaten
2 ounces (1 cup) bean sprouts
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped coarse
Lime wedges
Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
Stir-Fry
Salt
Sugar
1 radish, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch by ¼-inch matchsticks
4 ounces (¼-inch-wide) rice noodles
5 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ½ tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate
8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 scallions, white and light green parts minced, dark green parts cut into 1-inch lengths
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, beaten
2 ounces (1 cup) bean sprouts
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped coarse
Lime wedges
Ingredients
Chile Vinegar
⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
Stir-Fry
Salt
Sugar
1 radish, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch by ¼-inch matchsticks
4 ounces (¼-inch-wide) rice noodles
5 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ½ tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate
8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 scallions, white and light green parts minced, dark green parts cut into 1-inch lengths
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, beaten
2 ounces (1 cup) bean sprouts
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped coarse
Lime wedges
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to create a version of pad thai using pantry staples that provided distinct sweet, sour, and salty flavors and a mix of textures. Soaking rice noodles in boiling water softened them quickly, and a sauce of sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind concentrate resulted in balanced flavor. Shrimp and egg bulked up the dish while bean sprouts, scallion greens, and peanuts added crunch. Finally, we pickled red radishes for acidity (and more crunch), and we created some of the flavors found in dried shrimp by microwaving and then frying small pieces of fresh shrimp.
Before You Begin
Since pad thai cooks very quickly, prepare everything before you begin to cook. Use the time during which the radish 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 2 1/4 teaspoons lime juice and 2 1/4 teaspoons water and omit the lime wedges.
Instructions
- Combine vinegar and chile in bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
- Combine 2 tablespoons water, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon sugar in small bowl. Microwave until steaming, about 20 seconds. Add radish and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Bring 3 cups water to boil. Place 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 1 teaspoon oil.
- Combine fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.
- Remove tails from 2 shrimp. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss shrimp pieces with pinch salt and pinch 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, 3 to 4 minutes. (Check halfway through microwaving and separate any pieces that may have stuck together.)
- Heat 1 teaspoon 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 1/2 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add minced scallions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with dried shrimp.
- Heat 1 teaspoon 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 1 teaspoon oil to center, then add eggs to center. Using rubber 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 1 teaspoon 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 1 teaspoon chile vinegar, drained radish, scallion greens, and bean sprouts and toss to combine.
- Transfer to platter and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges and remaining chile vinegar separately.
for the chile vinegar
for the stir-fry
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