Pad Thai with Shrimp

Pad Thai with shrimp is a delicious dish from Thai cuisine but, as an Italian chef, I suggest a small Italian twist that you might like.

Ingredients

• 200 g of rice noodles
• 200 g of shelled shrimp
• 2 eggs
• 1 white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 100 g of bean sprouts
• 2 green onions
• 1 red chili pepper (optional)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (nam pla)
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of seed oil
• Chopped peanuts, to serve
• Fresh coriander (optional), to serve

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for about 30 minutes, until they soften. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan or wok and sauté the finely chopped garlic, sliced onion, and chili pepper. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until they are pink and cooked through.
4. Move the shrimp and vegetables to one side of the wok and add the eggs to the other side. Let them set slightly before mixing them with the vegetables and shrimp.
5. Add the drained noodles and the previously prepared sauce mix. Mix well so that the noodles are imbued with the flavor of the sauce.
6. Add the bean sprouts, julienned carrot, and sliced green onions. Stir-fry everything together for a few minutes.
7. Serve the Pad Thai with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and, if you like, some fresh coriander.

For an Italian twist, you could replace the fish sauce with some Cetara anchovy extract, which will add an Italian touch to the umami flavor of the dish.

Curiosity

Pad Thai is a very popular dish in Thailand, and it is said to have been promoted by the Thai government in the 1930s as part of a national program to reduce rice consumption.

Enjoy your meal!