Oh My Pad Thai Recipe

Dave and I got a wok for our wedding, and since seasoning it, I don't think we've used it very much. In any case, I really wanted to work more on my ethnic (I think I'm on the road to discovering more of my Vietnamese roots) dishes and challenge myself with new ingredients, so Pad Thai seemed like the way to go. (Sidenote: For any of you who know what fish sauce is, this was my first time using it in a dish of my own (not including times i've helped my mom cook)--pretty big deal!) Another bonus to cooking this dish on your own is that I'm sure it's way cheaper to make it and consume its deliciousness at home than ordering a plate for 12 bucks in a restaurant.

I've tasted some deee-licious Pad Thai's and some that had a strangely (and unfortunately) ketchupy sweetness. Not OK. I actually found this recipe on the Big Girls Small Kitchen blog. One of the main contributors, Pheobe, spent some time in Thailand and actually went to a local cooking school over there. When she came back to the states, she found that most of the Pad Thai dishes she ordered were too sweet or too Americanized. Restaurant after restaurant, she went looking for one that was traditional and reminiscent of the ones she had eaten in Thailand--the one that evoked all the memories of Chiang Mai. Her roommate urged her to find the recipe that she was given while she was at the cooking school; thankfully, she found it:

Ingredients:

(serves 2; I suggest doubling it, so you can have yummy leftovers :))

½ pound rice noodles
3 tablespoons oil (I used canola oil)
1 shallot, sliced
2 scallions, sliced (white and green parts divided)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Garnishes:

-lime wedges

-crushed peanuts

-bean sprouts

-sugar (I love that it's traditional to serve the sugar as a condiment to this dish--whodathunk?)

-cilantro leaves (Some say these are optional. I think they are mandatory!)

Directions:

Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. In a large wok or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Make sure you let the oil heat up before adding anything. Once hot, add the shallot and white scallions and saute until beginning to brown (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until golden (about 1 minute). Pour in the egg and quickly scramble. Toss together with the noodles, sugar, green scallions, fish and oyster sauces until well mixed. Continue to stir fry until the noodles are cooked through (about 3 more minutes).

Top with bean sprouts, ground peanuts, cilantro leaves, and a lime wedge. Serve alongside the garnishes.

Enjoy!