Chef Jet Tila shows how to make a scrumptious stir-fry noodle dish and provides some general tips about pasta (figure A). Pad Thai
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. fish sauce
1-1/2 Tbs. tamarind paste
2 Tbs. lime juice
1-1/2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. dried shrimp
1-1/2 Tbs. salted turnips
1/2 cup sliced baked tofu
3 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped chicken breasts
8 shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
4 oz. rice sticks (rice-flour noodles), soaked
1 Tbs. paprika
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
1 cup bean sprouts
Preparation:
Heat the oil in skillet or wok over high heat. Meanwhile, pour all of the liquids into the sugar and stir together to make a sauce.
Combine dried shrimp, salted turnips and tofu in a bowl. Add garlic to hot oil in skillet. Add eggs to skillet, breaking the yolks slightly but not scrambling them. Add chicken and shrimp. Cook a bit, stirring constantly.
Shake excess water from noodles and toss in the pan. Stir and cook some of the moisture out of the noodles before stirring in the sauce.
Add turnip, shrimp and tofu mixture. Cook a bit, stirring constantly. Stir in paprika, then add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to medium or medium-high. Cook quickly to remove some moisture. Allow the flavors to blend, but don't let it dry out.
Noodles 101
- All noodles can be used for soup, but not all can be used for stir-fry dishes.
- Some noodles should be blanched before adding to recipes. To blanch, throw noodles into boiling water for 30 seconds to three minutes, then shock them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
