Dr. Foo’s Pad Thai

This must surely be the most famous of many wonderful dishes in the Thai repertoire, but not one you’re likely to find in even a mid-level restaurant in Thailand – unless it’s one with popularity among tourists. Just as Italian restaurants in Italy don’t make pizza – pizzerias do – pad thai is the province of enterprising street vendors.

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
  • 1 cup sliced pork
  • 1 cup medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
  • 1/2 pound medium-size dried rice noodles (soaked 60 minutes in cold water and drained)
  • Water
  • 1 cup Dr. Foo’s Kitchen Tamarind Pad Thai Stir-Fry Sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (optional)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
  • 3/4 cup sliced green onion
  • 3 cups bean sprouts, rinsed, plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 large lime

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pork and shrimp and keep stirring until the shrimp changes color. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove the mixture to prevent overcooking. Add the noodles. They will stick together so stir fast and try to separate them. Add a little water, stirring a few times. Then add the Pad Thai sauce and fish sauce (if using), and keep stirring until everything is thoroughly mixed. The noodles should appear soft and moist. Return the cooked shrimp mixture to the wok.

Push the contents of the wok up around the sides to make room to fry the eggs. If the pan is very dry, add 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs and spread the noodles over the eggs to cover. When the eggs are cooked, stir the noodles until everything is well mixed, resulting in cooked bits of egg, both whites and yolk, throughout the noodle mixture. Add crushed red pepper, peanuts, green onions and bean sprouts. Mix well. Remove to a platter. Garnish with cilantro, squeeze lime juice over the top and serve. Serves 4

Leave a Reply