Island Epicure

The first column I wrote for this newspaper, ten years ago, gave readers a requested recipe for Pad Thai. It’s okay for people sensitive to wheat because it uses Thai rice noodles. One Christmas I gave the recipe and the non-perishable ingredients to my grandson James, who loves to cook, and to eat, gourmet dishes. His delight when he opened the box earned some envious glances. The preparation for it can be done any time during the day you plan to serve for dinner. Soaking the noodles and cooking takes only a few minutes. It can be as simple or as elegant a presentation as you wish. The simplest form was cooked and sold on street corners in Bangkok the first time we were there. I didn’t see those pad Thai vendors the last time, though. Perhaps those vendors had jobs driving tuk-tuks, the two-bench taxis, or long-tailed boats, the water taxis on the river. I’ll bet they still eat Pad Thai, though. It’s too good dish to forget.

     Pad Thai
     4 servings

3 hanks skinny rice noodles
½ cup coconut oil or olive oil
5 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup small cooked shrimp
2 Tablespoons Nam Pla (fish sauce)
3 Tablespoons ketchup
2 eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts.
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves
1 cup bean sprouts

 Garnish:
Chopped roasted peanuts
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 to 3 tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
4 or more wedges of fresh lemon or lime

Soak the noodles in hot water for 15 minutes. While they cook, mix the fish sauce and ketchup (A Japanese tea cup is just right for this).  Line up all the ingredients except the noodles in small bowls alongside your stove. This permits the whole recipe to go together fast in a large frying pan or wok.

Heat the oil in pan or wok. Fry the minced garlic just until it turns golden. Add the shrimp. Heat 1 minute. Add the fish sauce and ketchup mix. Stir. Add the beaten eggs. Stir to scramble. Drain the soaked noodles. Add to the pan.  Stir-cook 2 minutes. Add half the peanuts, half the cilantro, and the red pepper flakes. Add the bean sprouts. Stir or toss. Cook just until the bean sprouts are barely cooked. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Turn out onto a platter. Arrange the garnish ingredients atop the noodle combo in this order: Peanuts, green onions, cilantro, and parsley. Ring with tomato slices. Place the cucumber slices either on the tomato slices or between them. Tuck in wedges of lemon or lime.

This makes a beautiful presentation with entrée and salad on the same platter, truly a one-dish meal. In Thailand, limeade is the usual beverage served with it. For desert, fresh fruit is offered--strawberries if available. Frozen strawberries could be substituted, half-thawed and topped with whipped cream.