Pad Thai, when done properly, is not a tangle of sweetened noodles but a study in balance.
It’s a dish that rewards attention to detail and a correct balance of seasoning. It’s savoury, bright, and deeply aromatic, with each element speaking clearly rather than clamouring for attention. This recipe gets much of its seasoning from its soy sauce, tamarind and fish sauce, but this needs to be helped along by a light but important amount of salt and pepper to balance the sweetness from the sugar and acidity from the lime. Pad Thai cooks very quickly, so it’s more important than ever to be well prepared before bringing heat to the wok. Every ingredient should be measured, chopped, and within reach. It’s this that allows the cooking itself to remain fluid and controlled rather than hurried.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp tamarind
- 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 lime, juice
- 1 chicken breast, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 banana shallot, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 3 spring onion greens, sliced
- Handful of bean sprouts
- 200g rice noodles
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Method
Add all the pad Thai sauce ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 5-10 minutes or until just al dente, then drain and set aside.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then heat a wok over high heat for a few minutes. Add a splash of vegetable oil, followed by the chicken breast. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the shallots and cook for a further minute. Add the garlic and chilli and stir-fry until fragrant before moving everything to the side of the pan and adding the eggs. Allow the eggs to sit for a few seconds, then scramble rapidly and combine with the chicken. Add the soaked noodles to the wok along with the pad thai sauce and toss to combine. Add the bean sprouts, peanuts and spring onion greens, and keep tossing for a few minutes until everything is combined and hot through. Season with a touch of salt, then serve.
