Restaurant Worthy Chicken Pad Thai

I have a thing for Thai food. Pad Thai and Massaman curry are probably in my top 5 favorite foods right after french fries, pepperoni pizza, and maple doughnuts. I have a very mature palate (not).

Buttttt it's a bit expensive. And my favorite Thai place is 45 minutes away so after searching and testing and trying and crying I finally found a pad thai recipe that I love.

This is not the easiest thing to make only because it calls for a lot of ingredients I don't normally keep on hand, but I bought them once and now am surprised at how often I use them. I got them at an Asian market for pretty cheap which is a bonus, plus Andrew claims that he could eat this meal every night so we put those ingredients to good use.

If you are a Thai food fan, you're going to love this. Enjoy.

Restaurant Worthy Chicken Pad Thai

Adapted from  The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients:

PAD THAI SAUCE:
4 Tbsp. pad thai paste
2 tsp. tamarind paste/concentrate
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 tsp. sugar
2/3 cup water
1 to 4 tsp. Asian Chilli sauce (preferably Sriracha) or 1 to 2 tsp. Asian Chilli powder or ground red pepper (I used a little more than 2 tbs Sriracha and it was the perfect spicy for us, I'd call it medium.)

PAD THAI NOODLES:
8 ounces dried rice noodles (medium thickness)
3 Tbsp. high-heat cooking oil (I used peanut oil for flavor but any kind will do)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 large chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. finely minced (about 3 large garlic cloves)


optional:
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup peas
4 green onions (scallions), cut into 1-inch lengths (I omitted this)
1 cup fresh bean sprouts  (I omitted this)
1 lime, cut into wedges  (I omitted this)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts or cashews

Instructions:1.  In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in hot water (not boiling, just hot straight from the tap) for 10 to 15 minutes.
2.  Combine the ingredients for the Pad Thai Sauce in a bowl.
3.  Check back on the noodles.  The noodles are sufficiently soaked when they are flexible but still a bit stiff.  Drain them and set aside.
4.  In a wok or large saute pan over high heat, add just 1 Tbsp. of the oil.  When the oil is very hot, add the beaten eggs and swirl gently while it sets.  Use your spatula to scramble the eggs and then remove from the pan.
5.  Wipe the pan clean.  Return the heat to high and add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of the oil.  When the oil is very hot, add the chicken and fry until cooked almost through.  Push the chicken to one side (or up the sides of the wok).  To an empty area of the pan, add garlic and carrots, peas and green onions and stir-fry 15 to 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add the drained noodles, the cooked eggs and the Pad Thai Sauce.  Toss until all ingredients are well combined.  Cover the pan and let simmer until the noodles are soft and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Check at the 2 minute mark and if the noodles are still a bit stiff, cover and cook another minute.  The noodles should have soaked up a lot of the sauce, and you should taste a combination of sweet, salty, a little heat and a zing of tartness.  If desired, serve with the fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges and chopped peanuts at the table.