Pad Thai

Andrew Schofield's Note:

I still remember the first time I ever tried Pad Thai - I was sat in a little restaurant just off Khao San Road in Bangkok and fancied a change from my usual Thai Green Curry. I was to eat Pad Thai many more times during the 3 weeks I spent in Thailand and often from street vendors who literally cooked this up in minutes. The recipe I’ve posted below is my modified version from Delia Smith's recipe and I was really happy with the result! I hope you are too. This recipe is taken from my blog located: http://onceuponathyme.wordpress.com/2009/04/25/pad-thai/

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 110 g rice noodles (often known as rice stick)
• 8 king prawns (I used frozen)
• 1 chicken breast, diced
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 radishes, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons coriander

Directions:

1. Prepare all the ingredients beforehand as once the stir fry starts it’s all very quick. First you want to cook the noodles to packet instructions (I boiling water for 5 minutes) then briefly rinse in cold water and set aside.
2. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and cook the chicken until just cooked, then set aside. If you are using frozen prawns, defrost in a little warm water, then also set aside.
3. Heat the groundnut oil to a very high heat, then add the chilli, garlic and the red onion and cook for 1 - 2 minutes until slightly softening. Add the radish to the pan for 30 seconds, then add in the cooked chicken and defrosted prawns for a couple of minutes. (If using uncooked prawns add these prior to the chicken and ensure they are fully cooked first).
4. Once the chicken and prawns are cooked, add the lime juice and the fish sauce and cook for a few minutes more. Add the noodles to the pan and give everything a good mix, turning the heat down slightly. Add in the tomato ketchup and mix again.
5. Pour in the egg over the noodles and leave to set for 1 minute. Once the egg starts to set, start to stir the noodles again and the egg should break up into thin strands. Keep stirring until the egg is cooked then serve with the following garnishes.