Pad Thai with prawns
Pad Thai takes 25 minutes, and the secret is in the noodles: never boil them, soak them for 20 minutes in warm water and finish them straight in the wok. The 26/30 prawns go in last, a minute and a half, just until pink and opaque.
Instructions
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Soak the noodles, do not boil ⏱ 20 min
Put the vermicelli in a wide dish and cover with warm tap water, not boiling. Leave it 20 minutes, until it bends around your finger but still has a firm core. The pack says boil for 5 to 7 minutes, which is right for soup and wrong for a wok: here the noodles finish cooking in the sauce, and pre-boiled they turn to paste. Drain well and set aside.
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Mix the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk the tamarind paste with the fish sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Taste it: sour, salty and sweet in equal parts, stronger than feels right, because 300 g of noodles will soak it all up.
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Prep the prawns
Hold the prawns under cold running water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat them dry with paper towel. The 1 kg bag holds 800 g net after glazing, so four portions take about half. They are peeled and deveined, nothing left to clean. Drying is not optional: wet prawns steam instead of searing.
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Sear the prawns ⏱ 1 min 30 sec
Heat the wok on full with a tablespoon of oil until it just starts to smoke. Add the prawns in a single layer and give them 90 seconds, turning once. Once pink and opaque, lift them onto a plate. They come back at the end, otherwise they turn rubbery.
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Egg and garlic
In the same wok add two more tablespoons of oil and the chopped garlic, ten seconds, just to perfume it. Crack the eggs straight into the wok, leave them 20 seconds untouched, then stir briefly into large curds. Do not cook them through, they finish with the noodles.
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Noodles meet sauce ⏱ 2 min
Add the drained noodles and pour the sauce over them. Toss hard with tongs, lifting the noodles out of the wok so every strand is coated, 2 minutes on high heat. If they stick, splash in two tablespoons of water, not oil. They should end up glossy and separate, not sitting in a puddle.
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Finish and serve
Turn off the heat, return the prawns, add the bean sprouts and spring onion, and toss twice. The residual heat in the wok is exactly enough: sprouts stay crunchy, prawns just warm through. Serve straight away with crushed peanuts, chilli flakes and lime wedges.
Good to know
Three things ruin Pad Thai at home: pre-boiled noodles, an overcrowded wok and sauce added too early. Cooking for more than four, do two batches rather than one full pan: crowding drops the temperature and everything steams instead of frying. Without tamarind, use lime juice and rice vinegar, brighter and less caramelised, but the balance holds.
Frequently asked questions
How do you cook frozen prawns in a pan?
Ten minutes under cold running water, drain and pat dry, then a screaming hot wok for 90 seconds, turned once. Wet prawns or low heat release water and steam instead of searing.
Which noodles are used for Pad Thai?
Flat rice sticks are the classic, but rice vermicelli works well if you soak it in warm water for 20 minutes instead of boiling. Wheat noodles do not work, they bind with the sauce differently.
Can I make Pad Thai without tamarind?
Yes. Swap the 3 tablespoons of tamarind paste for the juice of 2 limes plus a tablespoon of rice vinegar. The result is fresher and less caramelised, but still properly sweet and sour.
How do you thaw frozen prawns correctly?
Fastest is 10 minutes under cold running water in a sieve. Overnight in the fridge works just as well. Never the microwave or warm water: the edges cook and go rubbery. Do not refreeze.
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Pad Thai with prawns
Pad Thai with prawns
Pad Thai takes 25 minutes, and the secret is in the noodles: never boil them, soak them for 20 minutes in warm water and finish them straight in the wok. The 26/30 prawns go in last, a minute and a half, just until pink and opaque.
Notes
Three things ruin Pad Thai at home: pre-boiled noodles, an overcrowded wok and sauce added too early. Cooking for more than four, do two batches rather than one full pan: crowding drops the temperature and everything steams instead of frying. Without tamarind, use lime juice and rice vinegar, brighter and less caramelised, but the balance holds.
