Dinner and a Movie - Pad Thai Meets the Parents

"Jack can't talk Thai!  Oh no Dina, Jack can talk Thai.  Jack talk Thai very well!"  One of my favorite moments from "Meet the Parents" the only movie from that franchise really worth seeing.  I love the TBS series "Dinner and a Movie" so I am going to borrow that concept occasionally and use it in my blog.  Tonight, you will be cooking Pad Thai and watching Meet the Parents.  Mix up some Tom Collins' (Jack's libation of choice), make sure Jinksie cat is in the house and remember, if you want to stay in the "Burn's circle of trust", don't burn the Pad Thai! Makes Two Servings.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. "Sugar in the Raw" or Brown Sugar
3 tbsp. Concentrated Tamarind Juice (substitute half white vinegar and half fresh lime juice)
3 tbsp. Fish Sauce
2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Shallot minced
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 cup  Tofu (drained and squeezed of water)
1 tbsp. sweet radish (optional)
Half a package of Rice Noodles (two hand fulls)
10 Jumbo Shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
2 eggs
1 bunch of Chives (divided and chopped.  half will be used for garnish)
2 cups of Mung Bean Sprouts (divided, half will be cooked, half are for garnish)
1 Lime, cut into wedges (for garnish)
Asian Chili Paste (for garnish)
Crushed Peanuts (for garnish)
Chopped Chives (for garnish)








Directions:
Soak the noodles in warm water according to package directions (usually 30 minutes to an hour).  The drain and reserve the noodles.

In a non-stick pan, over medium / medium low heat, add the first 4 ingredients and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  You want the sauce to thicken but not burn.  Sugar can burn quick so keep stirring.  Taste the sauce and make sure it's balanced.  It is supposed to be equally salty, sweet and sour.   Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and reserve.

The remaining steps will go quite fast so make sure you have everything on-hand and ready.  Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until just cooked through.  Remove the shrimp from the wok.  Add the garlic and shallot and stir fry until fragrant but not burnt (about 45 seconds to 1 minute).  Add the tofu and radish, stirring constantly for another 45 seconds to a minute.  Now add half of the bean sprouts, half of the chopped chives, the noodles and the sauce you made earlier and stir fry for about a minute or two, until the noodles are almost cooked through.  Now push the noodle mixture to one side of the wok and crack two eggs into the wok.  I like to add two drops oil just before I add the eggs so they don't stick to the pan.  Cook the egg until they are about half way cooked through, then integrate them into the noodles.  Add the shrimp and any juices to the wok and stir fry, mix well for about 30 seconds and then remove from the heat.  To serve, divide the noodle mixture into two large bowls and top with the garnishes.  I like to put the garnish ingredients into small bowls and let each person choose what they want on their Pad Thai.  Now, set up the TV trays, put on the movie and remember...You CAN cook Thai!  Oh you can cook Thai very well!