Mordant Empire

[tid242]

So, I know this is a discussion that I've had with a few people...


Here's a Pad Thai recipe that I've found to be pretty close to what we're used to:

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/padthai.html

[bewitched]

Wow- thanks for the recipe and observations. Hopefully I can give this a try sometime.

-bewitched

[Ensoleille]

My parents make their own caramelized sugar once a year or so...basically, it's about 4-6 cups of white sugar simple syrup cooked on low heat until it's dark and has the consistency of molasses.

My parents add it to their stir fries to get the dark-brown restaurant colors of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, and 1-2 tbsp into mom's pad thai works wonders.

If you have the time, matchstick some daikon radish (or carrots) and soak it in a 1:4 vinegar:water mixed with a little bit of sugar while you're doing the cooking and toss them in at the very end. Adds a nice crunch.

I think mom also adds cilantro and if she has any, baby bok choy. I can't quite remember, I haven't had hers since Christmas.

[tid242]

[tid242]

Attempt #2:

Recipe as above, specific ingredients are as follow:

8 oz noodles
3 big shallots
5-6 Garlic cloves
2.3 TBSP Ginger (fresh, chopped)
4 Cups? bean sprouts (I just added a bunch)
1 Cup Thai chilis (maybe 30 peppers?)
1/3 cup Tamarind sauce
1/3 cup Fish sauce
~2 TBSP raw cane sugar
~2 TBSP reduced simple syrup (see below)
14 oz Tofu
4 eggs
some Thai basil
liberal pinch or two of black pepper
pinch maruata owarino tamari

As recipe calls for, heat wok, add ~2 TBSP peanut oil, add 1/4 shallots, 1/4 peppers, 1/4 garlic, 1/2 ginger. Cook ~ 30 seconds. Add tofu, cooking until browned (add more oil prn). Add remainder of shallots, peppers, garlic & ginger. Cook 30 more seconds. Add previously soaked noodles & cook 2-3 mins. Push noodles aside in wok and break 4 eggs into space, saturate eggs with black pepper and a bit of the tamari (maybe 1-2 tsp). Scramble eggs & add basil. Let eggs cook 1-2 mins. Add previously prepared mixture of tamarind, fish sauce, sugar & simple sugar conc. to dish, stir well & let cook 2-3 more minutes. Add bean sprouts, let cook 1-2 more mins.

Impressions? The dish was substantially darker than last time I would assume due to Ensoleille's recommendation of using a reduced simple-syrup. I prepared the reduced simple sugar syrup by boiling down 5 cups of white cane sugar to ~ 24 fl oz over a combination of low, then high, then low heat (I couldn't figure out if I should be turning up the heat or not, then decided I shoudln't). At room temperature the simple syrup isn't a syrup at all and is, in fact, hard. So I'll have to resort to a double-boiler to be able to get some to add to the dish next time. Maybe I over-reduced it?

In any event, taste wise it turned out very good. Without the szechuan & peanuts the dish lost its quasi-Chinese taste, and the shallots made a huge difference, I think. My wok/stove doesn't have quite enough kick to really sear the noodles, unfortunately, but many turned out fairly crispy nonetheless.

I'd have to think a little about what I could should do differently. Again I didn't prepare any of the garnish (cilantro, lemon/lime, chopped peanuts, green onions, etc), and this usually makes quite a difference in restaurants.

I think next time I make it, I'll do it the same way & might try adding some meat as well. I found 14 oz package of frozen mixed seafood (squid, octopus, shellfish) at united noodle for about $3. I just didn't want to over-do the protein this time even though I did tofu & chicken last time (although I think I only used 7 oz tofu before). This would be 28oz of protein for $5.00, without having to fuck around with any of the normal meats.

Will jot down anything else that comes to mind...

-tid242
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Sapere aude

[Ensoleille]

[tid242]

note to self;

doubled noodles to 16 oz. Doubled tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, simple sugar, bean sprouts, ginger, garlic. Added 2 course cut green onions, 3-4 TBSP honey.

Honey makes a big difference. The type I used was an Orange Blossom honey (origin Turkey or Cali I think?)that I recalled being really good, although upon further thought it does taste like they've upped the yield by feeding the bees fructose; may next time use Pine blossom honey (eastern european sourced), or maybe even Buckwheat blossom honey - either would give the dish a nice bit of a bitter musty kick.

don't cut finger next time.

-tid242
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Sapere aude

[op20g]

the smell, mmmmm, but my poor taste buds. Being Scandinavian sucks. But least if all that was left in the world was lye and tripe, I would be set.
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"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room. "

[tid242]

16 oz noodles
3-6 big shallots
5-6 Garlic cloves
2-3 TBSP Ginger (fresh, chopped)
4-6 Cups? bean sprouts (I just added a bunch)
1/4 pound Thai chilis
2 bunches green onions (maybe 10-15)
2/3 cup Tamarind sauce
2/3 cup Fish sauce
~4 TBSP raw cane sugar
~4 TBSP reduced simple syrup (see below)
14 oz Tofu
1-1.5 pound chicken
4 eggs
roasted whole peanuts & re-added them @ end
some Thai basil
kaffir lime leaves
liberal pinch or two of black pepper
pinch maruata owarino tamari
_________________
Sapere aude

[tid242]

16 oz (rice) noodles
5-10 big shallots
1 whole crown of Garlic (fresh, chopped)
~10 TBSP Ginger (fresh, chopped)
4-6 Cups? bean sprouts (I just add a bunch)
1/4+ pound Thai chilis
3 bunches green onions (VERY coursely cut, cutting into 3-4 pieces is sufficient)
1 cup Tamarind sauce
1 cup Fish sauce
~3 TBSP palm sugar
~2 TBSP reduced simple syrup (see above)
1 Lime or use kaffir lime leaves
28 oz Tofu
1-1.5 pound chicken
4 eggs
roasted whole peanuts & re-added them @ end
some Thai basil
liberal pinch or two of black pepper

+++++++++++++++++++
I think this is it, it's been the recipe I've been using for a few times now and it's spot on.
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Sapere aude