Recipes : Pad Thai : Food Network

	Print 3x5 Recipe Cards
	Print this recipe out and cut along the dotted lines to add this 3x5 recipe card to your personal collection.

Pad Thai
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Ingredients
1-ounce tamarind paste
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 ounces rice stick noodles
6 ounces Marinated Tofu, recipe follows
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup chopped scallions, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 whole eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons salted cabbage
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
3 ounces bean sprouts, divided
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, divided
Freshly ground dried red chile peppers, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions
Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set
aside while preparing the other ingredients.

Combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set
aside.

Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside
while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the other ingredients are
measured out into separate bowls, drain the water from the noodles and set them
aside. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch wide strips, similar to French fries.

Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the sauce. Stir
to combine.

Place a wok over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Heat
until it shimmers, then add the tofu. Cook the tofu until golden brown, moving
constantly, for no longer than 1 minute. Remove the tofu from the pan to a small
bowl and set aside.

If necessary, add some more peanut oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Add

2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic, cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the eggs
to the pan; once the eggs begin to set up, about 15 to 20 seconds, stir to
scramble. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order and toss after each
addition: noodles, sauce, cabbage, shrimp, and 2/3 of the bean sprouts and
peanuts. Toss everything until heated through, but no longer than 1 to 2 minutes
total. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining scallions, bean
sprouts, and peanuts. Serve immediately with the ground chile peppers and lime
wedges.

Marinated Tofu:
6 ounces extra-firm tofu, not silken
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Wrap the tofu firmly in a tea towel. Place the wrapped
tofu into an 8-inch cake pan. Top with another cake pan and weigh down with a
5-pound weight. (Bags of dried beans or grains work well.) Place in refrigerator
and press for 12 to 15 hours.

Place pressed tofu in a 2-cup container. Combine soy sauce and five-spice powder
and pour over tofu. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove the
tofu from the marinade and use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to
2 to 3 days.

Yield: 6 ounces tofu