Dead Head Pad Thai

Tuesday, 31 March 2009

Before he settled down and became a stock broker and financial planner, my wife’s cousin Bob, who stood up for me as a groom’s man at our wedding, worked at various odd and colorful jobs. For years, he was housepainter. And for a while, during the early 1980’s, he used to follow The Grateful Dead concert tours pulling a trailer equipped with a rudimentary kitchen. In the trailer, he made and sold Pad Thai noodles which he served with Bob’s Hot Habañero Shake. Bob’s noodles were my introduction to the phenomenon that is Thai Food. I never got his recipe, but, after years of carefully dissecting the dish and studying other recipes, I have finally developed a recipe that comes close. I decided to forgo the habañero shake in favor of a few crushed red chilies. (Serves 4 as a main dish) For the Noodles: 8 ounces dried rice stick noodles 4 cups hot tap water For the Sauce: 2/3 cup tamarind pulp (see p. x.) or 1/3 cup lime juice plus 1/3 cup water 3 tablespoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 2 teaspoons crushed red chilies 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil For the Omelet: 3 large eggs ½ teaspoon kosher salt 4 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp style (“Microplane”) grater 1-inch piece of ginger root, grated on a rasp style (“Microplane”) grater 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil For the Garnish: 3 cups bean sprouts ½ roasted, salted peanuts, chopped 1 bunch green onions, white and green parts only, cut into 1/8 inch slices 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves Lime wedges 1.) Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until the noodles are barely tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the noodles and keep them close to the stove. 2.) In a measuring cup or a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and keep it near the stove. 3.) Make the omelet. Beat eggs with salt and preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Put the oil in large sauté pan and swirl the pan to coat it with the oil. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute, then pour in the eggs and when the eggs begin to set, stir gently with the heatproof silicone or wooden spatula to cook the eggs through, about 2 minutes. 4.) Add the drained noodles to eggs and toss with the heatproof silicone or wooden spatula, toss until the noodles and eggs are evenly distributed. Pour the sauce mixture over the noodles and eggs, increase heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are evenly coated. 5.) Add the bean sprouts, half the peanuts, and half the green onions. Continue to cook, tossing constantly, until the sprouts are heated through and the noodles are tender, about 3 minutes. 6.) Transfer noodles to serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining peanuts and green onions and the cilantro. Serve hot with lime wedges passed separately.

 

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