beXnlog

Pad Thai #1

To me, Pad Thai always seemed to be something one did not attempt to make at home. Unless you grew up with it, the closest one could get to making it was from a microwavable packet or perhaps with one of those pre-measured complicated kits. I don't really know why it never occurred to me that i should try (especially since an average order of Pad Thai runs $12-13 in Philadelphia!) but when i came across Chez Pim's Pad Thai for beginners i was immediately inspired.

We headed out to the Hung Vuong Supermarket in South Philly for ingredients. We found everything we needed after two small snags: there were SO MANY kinds of dried rice noodles we got overwhelmed but chose a Thai brand that seemed to be the right width; and in the pickled jarred things aisle, it was difficult locating pickled turnip but eventually found it. We picked up the recommended Healthy Boy Brand thin soy sauce (instead of fish sauce), palm sugar, tamarind pulp, fried tofu puffs and bean sprouts. I already had crushed Thai chiles, pressed tofu and the fresh ingredients.

Luckily, a few months ago i resurrected by carbon steel flat bottomed wok with a harsh scouring and multiple doses of seasoning with grapeseed oil. I've been cooking with it often and the bottom has turned into a shiny black but the sides are still silvery blue. It's great - the hot steel cooks green vegetables with a great smokey char that a nonstick can't produce. Hopefully in the next few months the whole inside will be seasoned glossy black!

Chez Pim's detailed directions were excellent. The sauce was perfect - super flavorful with a wonderful balance of sweet/sour/salty/deep/hot (i used 2 t Thai chile powder) and the step by step instructions made so much sense. She includes helpful vegetarian suggestions; instead of chicken or shrimp i used fried tofu puffs cut in half with a little bit of pressed tofu cut into slim rods. I didn't add any vegetables besides the recommended bean sprout and scallions.

Overall, the 2 servings i made were shockingly delicious. I was so surprised that my first attempt came out so well! My only criticism was about the rice noodles - they were a bit too al dente so next time i'll soak them in the hot water a little longer. But besides the noodles everything was perfect. The mixture of flavors was great. The crisp bean sprouts, the chewy crispy tofu, the flavorful noodles, the peanuts, the squeeze of lime ... all i can do is thank Chez Pim for the excellent directions! And make more tomorrow!

I cooked up another batch of the Pad Thai sauce to have a jar in the fridge for my attempts later this week. I'll soak the noodles longer next time but besides that, it was totally delicious! Also, up later this week: Pad See Ew, be's favorite Thai noodle dish!

posted by beXn @ 11:01 PM