1/4 lb dried rice stick noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
8 shrimps, peeled and deveined
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp coarsely chopped peanuts - (dry-roa, sted type)
1 cup bean sprouts
4 slender green onions - sliced in 1, inch lengths
1 lime, quartered lengthwise
Directions
Paht Thai is a noodle dish almost everyone seems to like. A tangle of
slender rice noodles is sauteed with garlic, shallots, and an
orchestra of sweet, sour, and salty ingredients that play a piquant
symphony of Thai flavors. A handful of fresh bean sprouts provides a
cooling contrast to the hot, seasoned noodles, and circles of lime
invite you to bring sourness to center stage as you begin to eat.
Traditional ingredients are salty dried shrimp; crispy pieces of
fried, pressed bean curd; sweet-sour nuggets of pickled white radish;
chopped peanuts; flat, green garlic chives; and a balanced chorus --
sweet, sour, salty, hot -- of palm sugar, tamarind, vinegar, lime,
brown bean sauce, and crushed dried red chilies.
Thai cooks blithely tinker with the classic formula to create
signature versions, and you can, too. Siriluk Williams, owner of
Sukothai Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, gave me her recipe
for home-style paht Thai. I love its accessible ingredients, simple
steps, and delicious results.
Instructions: ============= Soak rice noodles in warm water to cover
for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare all the remaining
ingredients and place them next to the stove, along with a small
serving platter. When the noodles are very limp and white, drain and
measure out 2 1/2 cups. Set these by the stove as well.
Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1
tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the surface. When the oil is
very hot, drop a piece of the garlic into the pan. If it sizzles
immediately, the oil is ready. Add the garlic and toss until golden,
about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and toss until they turn pink and
are opaque, no more than 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the egg to the pan and tilt the pan to spread it into a thin
sheet. As soon as it begins to set and is opaque, scramble it to
break it into small lumps. Remove from the pan and set aside with the
shrimp.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, heat for 30 seconds, and add the
softened noodles. Using a spatula, spread and pull the noodles into
a thin layer covering the surface of the pan. Then scrape them into a
clump again and gently turn them over. Hook loops of noodles with
the edge of the spatula and pull them up the sides, spreading them
out into a layer again. Repeat this process several times as the
stiff, white noodles soften and curl into ivory ringlets. Add the
fish sauce and turn the noodles so they are evenly seasoned. Add the
sugar and peanuts, turning the noodles a few more times.
Reserving a small handful for garnish, add the bean sprouts, along
with the green onions and shrimp-egg mixture. Cook for 1 minute,
turning often. Transfer the noodles to the serving platter and
squeeze the juice of 2 lime wedges over the top. Garnish with
remaining bean sprouts and lime wedges and serve at once.
Serves 1 as a main course, 2 as an appetizer.
Source: Real Thai, by Nancie McDermott; Chronicle Books; ISBN
0-8118-0017-2
From: stigle@cs.unca.edu (Sue Stigleman)
Servings: 1 servings
Paht Thai Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Asian; Thai
The History of Recipes
We can track the history of written recipes back into distant history, in truth as far back as early Egypt, and quite possibly further than that. Having said that, generally, these old cook books were just primitive hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe in existence, according to historians are a few clay tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. Later on, in The time of the roman empire around 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a number of scripts detailing recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his scrolls, he describes how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into hors d`oeuvres, entrees and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius tells us how the early Romans were skilled in the use of many herbs, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks such as thyme, mint and parsley. During the following few hundred years, the powerful and rich houses competed to serve up the most exotic meals, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipe collections were greatly in demand. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 1800s that formal cookery and cookery books really came of age. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, devoted much of their lives to collating, verifying, and publishing the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. The revolution that is television gave us TV cooks and the recipe books that accompanied them. And that brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting everybody to access massive numbers of recipes like the ones you can find on the site you are now reading. |
We hope you enjoy this Paht Thai recipe.
