Shrimp Pad Thai

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes  

Servings: 2

 

INGREDIENTS:

Basic Ingredients:

6 oz dried rice sticks

1 ½ Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

2 stalks spring onion

2 eggs

 

Shrimp Marinade:

8oz large shrimp (peeled and deveined)

2 tsp baking soda

½ cup ice water

 

Sauce:

2 Tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp tamarind concentrate  

2 tsp sriracha

2 tsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp water

 

Garnish:

4 oz mung bean sprouts

2 Tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Lime wedges

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Soak the rice sticks in warm water for 30 minutes. I used Asian Best brand size M rice sticks for this recipe.

Marinate the shrimp with baking soda, salt, and ice water. Drain, rinse thoroughly, and pat-dry with paper towel before use.

Wash and divide the spring onion by the white and green portions and cut both portions into one-inch segments.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. It’s okay if the peanut butter is lumpy. If you’re not using sriracha, substitute with ½ tsp additional tamarind concentrate.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a non-stick 12-inch skillet and toss in the white portions of the spring onion, cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes, until a little bit of caramelization occurs.

Add the shrimp to the skillet and sear both sides until the shrimp are three-quarters done, for about 2 minutes. Add ½ tablespoon of the sauce mixture to the shrimp and toss for 30 seconds, then remove everything from the skillet and set them aside in a plate.

Drain the rice sticks and place them in the same skillet. Pour in the remaining sauce mixture. Toss the noodles so that they’re evenly covered with the sauce, then reduce the heat to low and continue to stir for 5 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Taste-test a noodle at this point, if it’s still hard, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook until the liquid is absorbed again, repeat this process until the noodles soften.

Bring the heat back to medium-high and push the noodles to one side of the skillet, add ½ tablespoon of oil to the other side, and crack in two eggs there. Wait until the egg whites turn white, then scramble the eggs with the spatula. Once the eggs are cooked, toss with the noodles to combine.

Toss in the green portions of the spring onion and the shrimp, and add the mung bean sprouts if you don’t like them raw and crunchy. Cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.

Garnish with mung bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and lime wedges to serve.