泰式炒河粉 Pad Thai

這是我 2015 年的第一篇食譜網誌，在此首先祝願各位親愛讀者新的一年健康快樂，事事如意，平安幸福，烹飪愉快。

This is my first recipe post of 2015. May I take this opportunity to wish you, my dear readers, a healthy and happy new year. May you have joy and happiness all year round. More importantly, happy cooking!



感謝所有一向以來給我支持的朋友，未來一年，我還會努力：「在這裏，與你分享我的烹飪、我的攝影和發生在我身邊的小故事。」希望大家繼續與我交流，保持給我的勉勵。

Many thanks too to all the support you've given me. This year, I'll strive to work hard to share my cooking, photography and all the little stories that happen around me with you. I hope you'll continue to visit my blog and my Facebook fan page; I truly value all the communication I have with my readers.

聖誕過後，吃了很多西方食品的腸胃，不自覺地便懷念起東方或亞洲美食來。

那晚正在計劃第二天朋友來探望時要煮些甚麼作款待，無意中看到之前兒子傳來他正在炒泰式河粉的照片，當時我問他好吃嗎？他説還可以，卻反問我可有食譜，下次他想試試我的版本。

After all the delicious but rich festive feasts over the Christmas and New Year holidays, our stomachs were crying out for clean, bright Oriental or Asian flavours.

One evening, I was planning what to cook for a friend who was coming to visit the following day. I came across a photo my son sent me not long ago when he was cooking a pan of Pad Thai. At the time I asked him : was it delicious? He said it was okay, but did I have a recipe? He wanted to try my version in the future.

謝謝他給予的靈感。因為朋友不能吃海鮮，翌日就炒了盤泰式雞肉河粉和一些小食做我們的午餐。

友人讚不絶口，我那位「食家」老公卻説他較喜歡吃用蝦仁炒的，還提議下次可以少放酸一點嗎?!

This was the inspiration I need! I cooked a big plate of Chicken Pad Thai ( my friend couldn't eat seafood ) as well as some side dishes for our lunch the next day.

My friend loved it, but that " Gourmet Expert " husband of mine said it would even be better if it was cooked with prawns rather than chicken, and also if it were less sour.

他的「提議」通常等於建設性的批評，大部分時間我都樂於接受。幾天後依他的口味泡製一鍋泰式大蝦炒河粉，他吃完給我豎起了兩個姆指頭！

女兒和兒子都在等待這個食譜，在此也與大家一起分享。

His criticism can be quite constructive, so I'm willing to accept it .... most of the time! A few days later I made a pan of King Prawn Pad Thai following his suggestions; this time he gave me two thumbs up.

Both my son and my daughter are waiting for this recipe, I thought I would share it with you as well.

泰式炒河粉  Pad Thai

材料

( 2 人份 )

• 3mm 濶的乾河粉 200g，用冷水浸 30 - 60 分鐘或暖水浸 10 - 15 分鐘至稍軟便行。 (不能用熱水，不然炒時很易變糊。地道的泰國炒河粉專家都用冷水，但我覺得趕時間的話，用一半沸水混合一半冷水浸的乾河粉，炒時也很軟滑適中。)
• 2 大匙菜油
• 大蝦 16 隻，去殻挑腸
• 乾蝦米 2 大匙洗淨浸軟 ( 約 15 分鐘 ) 
• 蔥 6 株，綠白分開切段
• 蒜頭 2 瓣，剁蓉
• 紅蔥頭 4 個，切小粒
• 甜紅椒 1/4 個切粒
• 紅辣椒 1 隻，去芓切絲
• 蛋 2 隻發勻
• 綠荳芽菜 100g
• 去殻烤花生 2 大匙，磨碎
• 青檸 1 隻切開
• 莞茜少許作裝飾

Ingredients:

( serves 2 )

• 200g 3mm wide dried flat noodles, soaked in cold water for 30 - 60 minutes or warm water for 10 - 15 minutes till soft ( don't use boiling water, or the noodles will clump up together during frying. Although all the traditional Thai chefs only use cold water to soak the noodles, but if you're in a hurry, from my experiences, mix half boiling water and half cold water together to soak the noodle for 10 - 15 minutes,  the texture of the noodles is still perfect for frying. )
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 16 large prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp dried shrimps, washed and soaked for 15 minutes till soft ( optional, can get it from Chinese supermarkets )
• 6 spring onions, white and green parts separated, cut into sections 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 small red shallots, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 100g beansprouts
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• coriander leaves to serve  

醬汁材料 :

• 羅望子濃汁 ( concentrated tamarind ) 1 大匙 ( 超級市場有售 )
• 水 3 大匙
• 魚露 40 ml
• 棕櫚糖或幼砂糖 30g

For the sauce :

• 1 tbsp concentrated tamarind ( you can get them from supermarket )
• 3 tbsp water
• 40ml fish sauce
• 30g palm sugar or caster sugar

做法 Method :

1.)   乾河粉浸軟瀝乾。

1.)   Soaked and soften noodles drained. 

2.)   把羅望子濃汁，水，魚露和糖在小鍋中用小火熱溶，置一旁備用。

2.)   Combine the concentrated tamarind, water, fish sauce and sugar in a small sauce pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, leave to one side.

3.)   平底不沾鍋燒熱下油 1/2 大匙，把大蝦兩面煎至剛轉色便拿起來放碟中備用。

3.)   Place a non-stick pan over a high heat and add 1/2 tbsp of oil. Pan-fry the prawns for a minute or so each side until they begin to colour, remove from pan and put in a plate.

4.)   原鍋燒熱再下 1 大匙油，加進白蔥段，紅蔥粒，蒜蓉，蝦米和辣椒絲一起炒香。

4.)   Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan and add the white part of spring onions, red shallots, garlic, dried shrimps and chilli and stir-fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

5.)   把河粉加入，下一半的醬汁兜炒拌勻。

5.)   Stir in the noodles and 1/2 of the tamarind sauce, mix and stir -fry well together.

6.)   大蝦回鍋，與河粉一起推至一旁，加進餘下的 1/2 大匙油，下蛋液炒開至畧熟。

6.)   Return the prawns to the pan, push everything to the side and add the rest of the 1/2 tbsp oil, add the egg, stir and scramble them as they start turning opaque.

7.)   將蛋與河粉，大蝦炒勻，加入餘下醬汁，加進綠蔥段，芽菜和甜椒粒，炒至完全均勻。盛盤，伴以烤花生碎，靑檸塊和莞茜。

7.)  Stir the egg through the noodles and add the rest of the sauce, beansprouts, green parts of spring onions and red pepper. Stir-fry until well combined, then serve with the roasted peanuts, lime wedges and corianders.

炒得成功美味的泰式炒河粉，這道菜的四種重要味道 : 甜，酸，鹹，辣份量要掌握得恰到好處。口味上當然也是各適其適，隨自己喜愛加減亦可以的。

A good Pad Thai that's cooked well, the four flavours : sweet, sour, salty and spicy need to be perfectly balanced. But because everybody's taste is different, you can adjust the sauce mix formula to suit your own.