John Torode’s Friday night pad thai
John’s classic prawn Pad Thai recipe is guaranteed to satisfy any Friday night takeaway cravings. It’s quick, simple, packed full of flavour and is easy to adapt with whatever’s left in your fridge!
Pad thai with prawns
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
400g thick dried flat rice noodles (banh pho)
For the paste:
1 bunch coriander, with root
6 cloves peeled garlic, finely chopped
For the sauce:
20ml oyster sauce
50ml fish sauce
20ml Tamarind paste
2 tsp palm, coconut, or soft brown sugar
100ml vegetable oil
200g raw, peeled, king prawns
100g firm tofu, chopped
75g pickled turnip, chopped
1 bunch spring onions, cut on the bias (keep the whites and greens separate)
4 eggs, beaten
300g beansprouts
20ml lime juice
To garnish:
100g roasted peanuts, peeled and crushed
3 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
Crispy shallots
Method
1. Soak the rice noodles in cold water for up to 2 hours, then drain and keep to one side.
2. To make the paste, cut the roots off the coriander, then pound the coriander root and garlic together.
3. Pick the coriander leaves and reserve, then discard the stems (you can use the stems in the paste if there is no root).
4. Now make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together.
5. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat and when shimmering, add the garlic and coriander paste. Stir for a few moments then add the prawns, tofu and half of the pickled turnip along with the whites of the spring onions.
6. Cook for thirty seconds then add half the sauce, next, add the noodles and toss well so everything is well mixed and tossed together.
7. Add the eggs and cook for a further two minutes.
8. Pour in the rest of the sauce. Toss and cook for around 4 –5 minutes, then add a handful of the beansprouts. Take from the heat and finish off with lime juice.
9. Spoon into a large bowl and top with all the garnishes: the rest of the spring onions, crushed peanuts, coriander leaves, sliced chilli, the rest of the pickled turnip and crispy shallots.
John's tip - Add the lime at the last minute and replace the prawns with thin strips of chicken breast if you want (cook it for an extra four minutes or so, or until cooked through). Or you can even make the dish without either prawns or chicken.