Phad Thai - Alex

There are a million versions of this, this is just here for my reference... What I can thoroughly recommend from this recipe however is covering the rice stick noodles in cold tap water to soak instead of hot water. When you drain them they maintain their integrity so much better and do not break apart after being added to the wok and cooked.


3 bulbs lemon grass bashed then finely sliced
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb ginger
2 stalks spring onion
1 handful mint leaves
1 bunch coriander
1 tsp shrimp paste
1/2 a mild chilli sliced, seeds removed
1 chilli sliced
1 tbs tamarind pulp
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
2 limes
Sesame oil
Extra light olive oil
1 kg chicken thigh
Salt
2 eggs
1 onion in wedges
1 pack bean sprouts
1 pack rice stick noodle
1 handful peanuts chopped
Fried dried onions (optional)

Cover the rice stick noodles in cold tap water for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl cover the tamarind pulp in warm water (about 1 cup) to steep.
Season the chicken with a little salt and dress in the olive oil and a little sesame oil.
Using a pestle and mortar make a paste from the lemon grass, chilli, ginger, garlic, one sliced spring onion, shrimp paste, half of the mint and the stalks from the coriander.
Pass the tamarind water through a sieve into another bowl and push as much of the paste through the sieve as you can into the water. Discard the pulp. Add the sugar, 1 tbs fish stock and the juice of one lime to the tamarind water and whisk to combine. Check for seasoning and add more sugar or lime or fish sauce as necessary. Set aside.
Drain the noodles.
Heat 1 tbs olive oil (or vegetable oil) in a wok over a medium high heat and cook the chicken batches getting some nice colour in the process then set it aside. Crack the eggs into the wok and scramble, remove to a clean plate. If necessary add some more oil then stir fry the onions until tender and with a little colour, remove and set aside. Take the wok off of the heat and slice the chicken thinly. Return the wok to the heat, cook the ginger/garlic paste for a couple minutes, throw in the chicken pieces and coat in the cooked paste mixture, add the onion doing the same, followed by the bean sprouts and noodle. Deglaze the wok with the tamarind sauce and toss the noodle and chicken through. Add the onion, egg and some chopped coriander and combine.
Spoon into bowls and top with peanuts, more chopped coriander, chilli, some sliced mint leaves, sliced spring onion, fried onions if using, a drizzle of sesame oil and squeeze of lime.