Shrimp Pad Thai

I made this dish tonight, not only was it delicious - but it was super quick to make!  One of my boys enjoyed the shrimp and not the noodles and the other was just the opposite.  If you know my boys, I'm sure you can figure out the favorite for each one! 

This recipe was in the Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012 and I made some slight changes to it.  Most of them because of what I had in my refrigerator!

Give this one a try - I think you'll like it!

Shrimp Pad Thai
Serves 4
Adapted from the Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012

8 ounces pad thai noodles, preferably A Taste of Thai or Thai Kitchen brands
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about the juice of 1 1/2 - 2 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 Thai bird chiles or 1 serrano chile with seeds, stemmed and thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces shelled and deveined medium shrimp (I used small - easier for the boys to eat!)
2 large eggs, beaten
4 scallions, thinly sliced (not pictured here, I didn't have - would have liked to have included them, used about 2 tablespoons of chopped white onion instead)

For Serving:
Roasted peanuts, chopped cilantro, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, sesame seeds

Put the pad thai noodles in a very large bowl and cover them with very hot water.  Let the noodles soak while you do the rest of the prep work until they are pliable. 

In a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce with the lime juice, light brown sugar and sliced chiles.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the canola oil until shimmering.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Drain the pad thai noodles in a colander and shake the excess water off of them.  Add them to the pan and stir-fry with the shallots and garlic until the noodles are heated through, about 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to curl and turn pink.

Scrape the noodles and shrimp to one side of the pan and add remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the empty side of the skillet.  Add the beaten eggs and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly set, about 1 minute.  Add the sliced scallions and toss everything together, keeping the eggs relatively intact.  Add the fish sauce mixture and stir-fry until the noodles are evenly coated, about 2-3 minutes.   This was easiest to do with a pair of tongs.

Transfer the pad thai to a platter.  Top with roasted peanuts, cilantro, carrots, bean sprouts, and sesame seeds.  Serve immediately with lime wedges. 

Note:  Food & Wine recommended a ripe, lime-scented Pinot Gris from Oregon:  2009 O'Reilly's to serve with this dish.