I’ve been on an Oriental food kick lately. During the past couple of weeks, I’ve made Hot and Sour Soup, egg rolls, Kung Pao Chicken, and Chicken Chow Mein. Continuing on that theme, I went on a search for a recipe for Pad Thai.

Found a book on my shelf that I hadn’t looked at in years. Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds. I was a bit puzzled by the inclusion of ketchup in the recipe for Pad Thai, but the author is so well regarded that I decided to trust her judgement.

I adapted the recipe somewhat, but the end result was really close to the Pad Thai that you would order in a restaurant. A major plus to making it at home is that you get to have many shrimp instead of the three or four normally included in your average restaurant order.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (26-30 count)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 ounces flat rice stick noodles, softened in hot water and drained
2 cups fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

Sauce

mix together:
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water

Garnishes

3 tablespoons diced scallions, white and green parts
1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or basil) – optional
1 lime, cut into wedges

Method:

1. Heat a heavy skillet ( I used my paella pan) over high heat.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat until hot.  Add the shrimp and stir-fry until they turn pink. This will happen very quickly. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Wipe out the pan.
3. Reheat the pan over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining oil and heat until hot. Add the eggs and cook, stirring to scramble them, until just set.
4. Add the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.  Add the sauce and the rice noodles and toss for a few minutes, until the noodles have absorbed the sauce and are tender.
5. Add the shrimp and bean sprouts and toss to mix.
6. Transfer onto a serving platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens, peanuts, red pepper, and cilantro or basil (if using).  Serve with lime wedges.

Should serve four.