Shrimp Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 8 oz. rice noodles, or enough for 2 people
• 12-15 small to medium raw shrimp, shells removed
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 egg
• 2-3 cups bean sprouts
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• handful fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
PAD THAI SAUCE:
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Dunk in noodles and boil until they are limp but still firm and a little “crunchy” to taste. The noodles should be undercooked, as they will be fried later. Rinse with cool water and set aside.
2. Toss shrimp in 1 Tbsp. soy sauce and set aside. Next, combine ‘Pad Thai Sauce’ ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar. Set aside.
3. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add garlic and ginger. Stir-fry 1 minute and add the shrimp. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and plump. Push ingredients aside and drizzle a little more oil into the pan. Crack in the egg and stir-fry quickly to scramble (30 seconds).
4. Add noodles and drizzle over 1/3 of the pad Thai sauce. Using a gentle turning motion, stir-fry everything together. Add more sauce every 30 seconds to 1 minute until sauce is used up and noodles begin to get sticky and chewy tasting (‘al dente’ – 5 to 8 minutes).
5. Turn off heat. Fold in bean sprouts and green onion. Taste-test, adding more fish sauce if not flavorful enough. If too salty or sweet, add a good squeeze of lime. Sprinkle over the nuts and coriander. Thai chili sauce can be served on the side for those who like it extra spicy.