Back in the saddle: Chicken Pad Thai

It's been quite a while since I last wrote anything on here. Plenty has happened since 2013, and while I've never stopped cooking it's safe to say that there was enough turbulence in my life to blow out the pilot light. I am however so thankful for the people in my life who have never stopped asking me about the blog, or asking for recipes, as you have all helped me gather that little bit of kindling I needed to start writing again.

As ever, exploring a recipe that's loaded with nostalgia feels like a good place to pick up. Thailand has been close to my family ever since we moved to Japan in the early 90's, with distance and cheap holidays making it the perfect winter retreat. Our visits over the subsequent two decades were always colourful, vibrant discoveries of food, culture and personality: falling victim to the hottest meal I have ever encountered (a "thai style" beef glass noodle salad, no less), or staring in gleeful wonder at the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, ushered by the proud kindness of locals who just wanted to share their favourite sights. At the same time, I have also experienced tremendous sadness there, arriving in Bangkok airport on December 26th, 2004 and witnessing the churning tragedy of the tsunami unfold in real time. Or going back to Phuket this year, returning to Thailand for the first time without my mother. My relationship with Thailand both as a place and a cuisine has pretty rich vein of flavours and memories: bittersweet, fiery, refreshing, comforting.

My mum and sister, Koh Samui 2002

Lunch on the beach, Phuket 2016

Now when it comes to the full spectrum of Thai cooking, Pad Thai is both one of the most well-known dishes, and one of the simplest. That's not to suggest that it's not full of flavour or exciting - thankfully it makes a great introduction to using Thai ingredients that aren't too tricky to find or handle. It's also, if I'm honest, a real comfort food for me and easily one of my favourite takeaway choices. When we discovered that our local Thai restaurant (Addies) no longer delivers, I finally had all the reason I needed to try and see if a homemade version was worth a shot. I'm happy to report, it really is. You won't get it perfect the first time, but I guarantee you will see the potential for just how good it can get.

Most of the ingredients that you'll need are relatively easy to find in London, and large supermarkets will cover most of your shopping list. That said, there are a couple that I want to highlight as absolutely crucial:

Tamarind Paste: this is what makes Pad Thai tastes like Pad Thai. The 'sauce' is made up of several common components like fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice, but this right here is the secret that unlocks the whole thing. Find it, and don't accept any substitutes.

The other thing that makes a world of difference is the noodles. What you're looking for are "thai rice stick noodles", which are also used in Pho and most closely resemble linguine sticks but white and semi-translucent. Don't bother with egg noodles or vermicelli or any of that nonsense if you want the real deal. Easiest to find in any little asian stores or international sections of the big supermarkets.

I did try this recipe with "fresh" pad thai noodles, but I have to say, going with the dried version gave dramatically better results (and is allegedly the purist's approach, should that matter to you).

Side note: Sambal Oelek, as I recently discovered, is basically a malaysian chilli sauce that is packed with flavour and a lovely balanced heat. It's not anywhere near as essential as the two above ingredients (though you can also find it in the same places as the noodles) - any typical chilli sauce that you like can be substituted, it's just my first choice nowadays. I do however think that Pad Thai without heat is a bit of a travesty, truth be told.

Everything else is pretty straightforward and refreshingly simple, so let's get cracking.

For the Pad Thai "sauce":
4 tablespoons thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
6 tablespoons water

Half a chicken stock cube
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (1 is mild, 2 is more fun)
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon oil

Everything else:

500g chicken thighs (skinless/boneless)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce
350-400g thai rice stick noodles
2 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 bunch spring onions, chopped (leave some for the garnish)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
300g bean sprouts
a fistful of roasted peanuts, chopped (or more, if you like)
Half a lime, cut into wedges (use the other half for the sauce above)

First thing's first - cut up the chicken thighs into strips, and put them in a bag or container with the cornstarch and soy sauce. Mush them up to get everything coated and leave in the fridge, at longest overnight. This is actually a pretty handy marinade for any kind of asian stir fry when you want to brown the meat and give it a bit of extra flavour.

Grab the rice noodles and dunk them in a bowl of room-temperature water for about 10 minutes or while you're prepping everything else. Soak them until they're almost al-dente, and can wrap around your fingers, then drain.

Pour all of the sauce ingredients into the smallest pan you have, and simmer on low heat - what you're looking for here is for the sugar to dissolve completely, and then adjust to your taste. More chilli, fish sauce or tamarind, as you prefer. No matter what, this should taste pretty exciting already.

At this point, you want to make sure you've got everything prepped and ready at hand, because over the next few steps you will need to move quickly.

Grab your biggest flat-bottomed pan (or a wok, failing that), and heat 1 tablespoon of oil on high. Toss the garlic in, and 30 seconds later toss in the chicken. Keep it all moving until the chicken has started to brown nicely.

Once the chicken is coloured on both sides, use a slotted spoon/spatula to remove to a plate covered in paper towels and drain off.

Keep the heat high and add your noodles.  Add half of the sauce in smaller amounts at a time, until the noodles feel soft and chewy (this is the bit that unfortunately will take practice until you feel more comfortable with it). You want to soften the noodles, and let them absorb the sauce, without swimming in too much moisture. If things start to clump up a bit, add a little bit of oil to loosen things up.

Clear a little well in the middle of the pan, add a little bit more oil and sizzle the spring onions for 30 seconds before pouring in the egg. Scramble it around the pan quickly, until it's fully cooked through and no liquid remains.

Once the noodles and egg are nicely fried and lightly browned, dump the chicken and beansprouts back in the pan on top of the noodles and add the remaining sauce. Carefully toss everything together so that it's completely coated, and cook for a minute or two more to soften the beansprouts.

Carefully transfer the pad thai into bowls (I find tongs by far the easiest way to do this), and scatter over the remaining spring onions and chopped peanuts. Squeeze a lime wedge over each bowl and dig in! If, like my wife, you are a chilli fiend you can either sprinkle some dried chilli flakes on top or add a bit more Sambal Oelek on the side.