I was really hungry for Pad Thai, that delicious Thai stir fry with rice noodles. Going through my recipes, I ran across a favorite from Jaime Carmody, Chef Proprietor of Out of Thyme Kitchen Studio in Symmes Township here in Cincinnati. It was from 2016! Seems just like yesterday that Jaime and I cooked together.

I’ve adapted her recipe slightly. It’s worth buying small bottles of oyster and fish sauce. If you’ve always wanted to make Pad Thai, try Jaime’s. It goes together quickly.

Jaime’s chicken Pad Thai

This is one recipe for which you need to go to taste on the seasonings. Seems like I always add a bit more soy and oyster sauce. Rice noodles are chewy and somewhat transparent. 

Ingredients

1 pkg. rice noodles

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 shallot, minced or 1/2 small red onion, minced

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

2-3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup fish sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar or clear vinegar

3-4 tablespoons Tamari soy sauce or regular soy sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 green onions, sliced, white and green part both

Couple handfuls bean sprouts

3/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts plus extra for garnish

Lime wedges

Cilantro or Vietnamese coriander to taste

1 bunch broccoli, cut up and steamed (optional)

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Favorite hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In large skillet or wok, add enough oil to coat bottom nicely. Cook garlic, shallots, oyster sauce and chicken until chicken is almost cooked.

Scoot mixture to one half of the skillet, then stir in eggs, scrambling them as they cook. Mix all together. Add as many noodles as you like, fish sauce, vinegar, Tamari, brown sugar and green onions. Stir in sprouts, peanuts and broccoli. Stir in red pepper flakes and cilantro, then garnish with peanuts and squeeze of lime. Pass hot sauce.

Tips

Sub shrimp for chicken. 

Snow peas, carrots, would be good.

Vietnamese cilantro/coriander: what is it?

Stronger flavor than cilantro, this herb thrives in the heat, and doesn’t bolt to seed.

Tamari vs soy

Both soy sauce and tamari are soy based.

Tamari, a Japanese form of sauce, contains little or no wheat while regular soy sauce usually contains wheat. 

Tamari has a smoother flavor.

Readers want to know: can you eat corn raw?

Yes, you can. Yummy added to fresh salsa or tossed green salad.