Vegetable Pad Thai
PAD THAI, savory noodles that are a national dish of Thailand, can be made in multiple variations, but cooks must stay on their toes. At its sprightly best, pad Thai has fresh, tangy flavors. The sauce — with a splash of lime or lemon juice — is sweet, sour and spicy. The gently chewy, translucent rice noodles are mixed with a toss of bean sprouts, baby bok choy, slivers of sweet red pepper, string beans and a sprinkle of fresh basil and cilantro. Tiny clouds of scrambled egg and cubes of swiftly sautéed tofu add protein. The final touch is a topping of chopped, roasted, salted peanuts. At its worst, when the dish has been left on the burner too long, “the balance goes off, the sugar burns off, the noodles get soggy and it can have a big, salty, sour taste, or it can taste scorched or caramelized,” Bruce Cost said. Mr. Cost is a partner in the eight Big Bowl restaurants in Illinois, Minnesota and Virginia, and the author of several cookbooks, including “Big Bowl Noodles and Rice.” How does he teach his cooks, none of them Thai, to make the dish perfectly? He runs drills, showing them that the moment they add the lime mixture to the dish, they must take it off the heat, add the scrambled egg, basil, cilantro and bean sprouts, and serve it immediately. “The clean, bright taste is delicate,” he said. “If it sits there for an extra minute or two, it’s ruined.”
5 1/3 ounces dried pad Thai rice noodles (see note)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice and 2 lime wedges for garnish
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground red Thai chilies or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup peanut oil
8 green beans, trimmed
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
1/4 large red bell pepper, cut into julienne
1 cup (lightly packed) thinly sliced Napa cabbage
2 scallions, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup finely diced firm tofu
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon pad Thai sauce (see note)
1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh basil and cilantro leaves
1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh bean sprouts
2 to 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts.
Recipe: Adapted from Bruce Cost
1. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with very hot tap water. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the lime juice, brown sugar, ground chilies, paprika, Thai chili sauce and soy sauce; reserve. Drain noodles well, rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Place oil in a wok over medium-high heat, and heat to 325 degrees. Add green beans and fry until wrinkled, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer beans to a plate, and discard all but 3 tablespoons of oil. Return to medium-high heat and add egg, stirring quickly to set it and scramble it slightly. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. To the wok add red onion, bok choy, red bell pepper, Napa cabbage and scallions, tossing for 1 to 2 minutes. Add noodles and toss until coated with oil and almost softened. Add tofu, wrinkled beans and pad Thai sauce; toss until thoroughly heated.
4. Drizzle in reserved lime juice mixture and toss for 5 seconds. Remove pan from heat immediately, then add scrambled egg, basil and cilantro mixture, and bean sprouts. Transfer to a heated serving platter, and garnish with peanuts and lime wedges. Serve immediately.
Note : Pad Thai noodles and sauce are sold in Asian markets and online.