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Friday, August 14, 2009

Recipe Finds : great Pad Thai throwdown from chef of Thai Basil restaurant in Virginia

Chelsea Thai Wholesale on Urbanspoon

Thai is my favorite cuisine. I hunt for recipes where ever I travel, on the Internet and even from TV shows. One that I have eaten in Kansas City before and made myself is the famous Pad Thai recipe. I have used cookbooks, restaurant recipes and internet sites . Before Bobby Flay went to a Washington, DC suburb to do a battle with Phai Thai, he came to this restaurant in New York City to learn a little more about the cuisine.

While I have been to Virginia, I have not been to this Virginia restaurant yet. But in a way, I was recently as I saw the restaurant on Bobby Flay’s Throwdown contest battle TV show featuring Pad Thai. The chef Nongkran Daks, won the Throwdown by using recipe Kuay Tiaw Pad Thai. (This one along with Bobby Flay’s recipe are featured on this page- see below). Both are great .

Usually the recipes are featured too so the show is a bonus to my recipe collection and for you all. I like trying new “takes” on versions of dishes. Pad Thai, in general is is a very versatile dish and can be made vegetarian, with chicken , seafood, shrimp, beef or combinations. I have made vegetarian and chicken versions myself and also tasted them at several places in Kansas City including the deceased Thai 2000 (which I loved) and the current Bangkok Pavilion in Overland Park , KS.
I also found another recipe like one found at the restaurant, but I substituted chicken for pork. (see it below too).
If you have made a version you like or a place in Kansas City that has a good one that you have tried, let me know.


http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/restaurants/info/802/thai_basil/

Kuay Tiaw Pad Thai

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/thai-basil-chantilly-va-20151_33vg9958.html


Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Pad Thai

Ingredients
• Recipe courtesy Nongkran Daks
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, optional
• 1/2 cup sliced pork
• 1/2 cup whole shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon (shredded) preserved radish
• 1/4 pound medium-size dried rice noodles (soaked 60 minutes in cold water and drained)
• Water
• 5 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce, recipe follows
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground hot chiles, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup sliced garlic chives or green onion
• 2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed, plus more for garnish
• 1 wedge lime
Directions
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden brown. Add the meat and shrimp and keep stirring until the shrimp changes color. Remove the shrimp to prevent overcooking and set aside.
Add the noodles. They will stick together so stir fast and try to separate them. Add a little water, stirring a few times. Then add the Pad Thai sauce, and keep stirring until everything is thoroughly mixed. The noodles should appear soft and moist. Return the cooked shrimp to the wok.
Push the contents of the wok up around the sides to make room to fry the eggs. If the pan is very dry, add 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs and spread the noodles over the eggs to cover. When the eggs are cooked, stir the noodles until everything is well mixed-this should result in cooked bits of eggs, both whites and yolk, throughout the noodle mixture.
Add chiles, peanuts, garlic chives and bean sprouts. Mix well. Remove to a platter. Serve with raw bean spouts and a few drops of lime juice.
A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Pat Thai Sauce:
• 1 cup tamarind juice
• 1 cup palm sugar plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan for about 60 minutes until it is well mixed and syrupy. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Cook's Note: If you want to double this recipe, DO NOT double the ingredi ents, for the bulk will be too much to work with. Rather, make the dish twice. If you plan to make this for company, cook noodles ahead of time and add bean sprouts and garlic chives when you heat it up. If it is an informal gathering, it is fun to let your guests cook their own noodles.
You can buy premixed tamarind concentrate or make your own tamarind juice. Buy a package of compressed tamarind pulp at any Asian market, cut off 3 tablespoons of paste and soak in 1 1/2 cups of warm water for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp and discard; the remaining liquid is tamarind juice. Store any leftover juice or noodle sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.

**

Shrimp Pad Thai
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Pad Thai
Ingredients
Sauteed Shrimp with Tamarind-Thai Basil Glaze:
• 3 tablespoons tamarind pulp
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 pound shrimp (21-25) size, shelled and deveined
Pad Thai glaze:
• 12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4-inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho)
• 3 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup packed Muscavado light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Sriracha)
• 1 1/2 cups peanut or vegetable oil
• 4 large shallots, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 (14 to 16-ounce) package firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 bunch scallions, green and pale green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups bean sprouts (1/4 pound)
• Thai basil leaves
• Cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• Lime wedges
For the shrimp:
Directions
Place tamarind in a bowl, cover with the boiling water and let sit until softened. Press the pulp through a sieve into a bowl and discard seeds and solids.
Combine orange juice, tamarind pulp, vinegar, honey, basil and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer. Return to the blender, with the motor running, slowly add 6 tablespoons of the oil and blend until emulsified.

:
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. Season shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Stir in the tamarind glaze, turn the shrimp over and continue cooking until shrimp is cooked through and glazed.
For the Pad Thai:
Soak noodles in a large bowl of warm water until softened but not overly soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander and cover with a dampened paper towel.
Place the tamarind in a bowl and cover with the boiling water, let sit until soft, about 10 minutes. Force the mixture through a sieve (including the water) into a bowl, discarding seeds and fibers. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and hot sauce to the tamarind, stirring until sugar has dissolved, set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or a large saute pan over medium heat until hot, then fry half of the shallots over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Reheat shallot oil in wok over high heat until hot. Fry tofu in 1 layer, gently turning occasionally, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer tofu to paper towels using a slotted spoon. Transfer the frying oil to a heatproof glass and reserve.
Lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and a tablespoon of water. Heat 2 tablespoons of the shallot oil in a wok or saute pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add eggs and swirl to coat the side of the wok, then cook, stirring gently with a spatula, until cooked through. Break into chunks with spatula and transfer to a plate.
Heat wok over medium heat, add 6 tablespoons of the shallot oil, then swirl to coat side of wok. Stir-fry scallions, garlic, and remaining uncooked shallots until softened, about 1 minute.
Add noodles and stir-fry over medium for about 2 minutes. Add tofu, bean sprouts, and 1 1/2 cups sauce and simmer, turning noodles over to absorb sauce evenly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in additional sauce, if desired, then stir in the eggs. Transfer to a large shallow serving dish and top with the shrimp, crispy shallots, Thai basil, cilantro and peanuts. Serve lime wedges on the side.


***
Khao Soi
http://www.simply-thai.com/thai-food-recipes-noodles-khao-soi.htm
Chiang Mai Curry Noodles
Ingredients
4 ounces rice noodles
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 tbs red curry paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 ounces ground pork
one cup chicken stock
1 tbs curry powder - pong gari
a pinch of turmeric powder
2 tbs fish sauce - nam pla
a pinch of palm sugar
a tsp lime juice

You will also need - for the Garnish
spring onions, sliced shallots and lime wedges

Method - noodles
1. Soak noodles in cool water for 15-30 minutes then drain for use.
2. Bring a pan of water to the boil, then place the noodles in a wire basket or strainer and dip the noodles in the water for a few seconds (no more)
3. drain them and transfer to the serving plate.

Method - Sauce
1. In a wok, heat the coconut milk
2. stir in the curry paste until the aroma is brought out and a thin film of oil separates out
3. add the garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds
4. Add the remaining ingredients except the pork, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Add the pork
6. continue to stir until the meat is cooked through.
7. Pour the sauce over the noodles.

***
Pad Kra Praw 1
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced into strips
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 fresh red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon chile paste (or to taste)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
4-5 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup whole cashew nuts
Stir together the fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Set aside.
Heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, stir once, then add chicken, celery, onions and fresh chiles. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until chicken is nearly cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in the chile paste and fish sauce mixture. Stir-fry another 2-3 minutes.
Quickly stir in the green onions, basil leaves and cashews. Serve immediately with plain short-grain rice.

**
Pad Kra Praw 2
1 1/2 cups ground chicken. - you would replace with tofu or asian eggplant-
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
3 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste
in soybean oil
1 1/2 cups sliced white onions
1/2 cup sliced green bell pepper
1 cup Thai basil leaves
1 teaspoon white pepper
Stir together the fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Set aside.
Heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, stir once, then add chicken, celery, onions and fresh chiles. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until chicken is nearly cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in the chile paste and fish sauce mixture. Stir-fry another 2-3 minutes.
Quickly stir in the green onions, basil leaves and cashews. Serve immediately with plain short-grain rice.
Posted by Dr. Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com) at 4:45 PM
Labels: Kansas City, Recipe Finds, Restaurant Recipe Finds, Thai, Throwdown with Bobby Flay

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