Unlock the flavors of Thailand: Chef Piotr Ogiński's guide to homemade pad Thai

Piotr Ogiński, a highly recognized chef, is famous under the nickname "I Love to Cook" on social media. In one of his videos, he demonstrates how to craft the Thai staple, pad Thai. It is a specialty centered around noodles and vegetables. The recipes for this dish may vary across different regions of Thailand, but maintaining a balance of flavors is crucial. Ogiński provides some valuable tips for preparing the best pad Thai.

Ogiński starts by demonstrating how to prepare all the essential ingredients for pad Thai. He begins with the garlic. After grinding the peeled cloves into a paste with some oil, he fries it until it turns yellow. He then transfers the prepared garlic to a sieve (ideally, a metal one), placing it onto a paper towel to dry. Once the garlic is dry and crumbly, it is ready for further use.

He also emphasizes that peanuts are vital to the dish. They must be unsalted and unroasted. Ogiński recommends starting by frying them at a low temperature in a pan. The toasted peanuts are then transferred to a sieve to remove the excess oil, dried on a paper towel, and finally crushed in a mortar.

Next, Ogiński turns to the rice noodles. He suggests using Thai or Vietnamese noodles measuring 0.11 or 0.19 inches thick, cautioning against those that might be too thin for pad Thai. These rice noodles are then soaked in cold water for two hours.

Although each region has its unique version of pad Thai, a common factor among all variations is the balanced flavor of the sauce accomplished through a blend of several ingredients. This sauce includes paste from tamarind, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar, which neutralizes the sour/bitter taste of the tamarind paste.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of oil,
• 1 egg,
• 1.76 oz of chicken breast,
• 6.34 oz of soaked rice noodles,
• 1.01 fl oz of water,
• *1/2 of the prepared sauce,
• **2-3 teaspoons of fried garlic,
• ***1-2 tablespoons of fried peanuts,
• green onions,
• mung bean sprouts,
• lime,
• chili flakes.

*For the Fried Garlic: Process 3-4 garlic cloves with 5.07 fl oz of oil. Then, fry the mix in heated fat until it turns yellow (avoid letting it turn golden). After draining, let the prepared garlic dry until it becomes crumbly.

**For the Pad Thai Sauce: Combine two tablespoons each of sugar, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon each of dark soy sauce and fish sauce, one tablespoon of tamarind paste, and 0.84 fl oz of water. Stir all of these thoroughly.

***For the peanuts, begin by frying them in fat at a low temperature. After removing the fat, let them dry on a paper towel. Finally, crush them in a mortar.

Instructions:

1. First, cut the green onions into large, approximately 1.57-inch pieces. Clean the chicken and cut it into skinny slices.
2. Next, heat oil in a pan/wok, crack the egg, and stir quickly. As the egg starts to set, add in the chopped chicken.
3. Stir in the soaked and drained rice noodles. After frying for a bit, add about 1.01 fl oz of water. Allow the mix to sit for the noodles to steam.
4. Following a few minutes, pour in the prepared sauce, add the green onions, and three heaping teaspoons of fried garlic. Stir the mixture thoroughly.
5. Then, stir well again with a small handful of mung bean sprouts and one tablespoon of roasted peanuts.
6. Finally, serve the prepared pad Thai garnished with extra sprouts, green onions, chili flakes, lime wedges, and roasted peanuts.