It would probably be more accurate to call this a dish inspired by Thai Pad See Ew. Pad See Ew is one of my favorite Thai dishes but it’s also a risky dish. Sometimes I am licking the plate with my fingers (but only after I distract my dinner partners, I have some class!)  and sometimes I would rather eat spaghetti O’s. Due to this inconsistency, I became determined to make it at home.

What is Pad See Ew?

Pad See Ew is a common street food and/or a common lunch. As I have looked at different recipes, I have found they contain some common ingredients:

  • rice noodles, generally cut short and wide
  • sweet soy sauce
  • Chinese broccoli or broccoli
  • Chicken or Pork
  • Scrambled Egg

Badger Girl’s Pad See Ew

I fell in love with Pad See Ew because of the sweet soy sauce and the broccoli. My base recipe was in The Ultimate Cookbook. That in hand, I went in search of sweet soy sauce.  After many weeks and many visits to local grocery stores, I finally decided to just email the authors of the book to ask about where to find the elusive ingredient. Mark Scarbrough emailed back almost immediately to tell me what to buy and where I could I find it. Kecap Manis is the sweet soy sauce and power house behind Pad See Ew, at least in my eyes.

As a side note, his quick and helpful response made me a lifelong fan. Check out his blog here.

We have made it four times so far and we have ‘Manatee-ized’ to our tastes. In short, we reduced the noodles, made more sauce and threw in a lot more veggies. I think we finally hit the sweet spot in our last attempt because Manatee finally stopped saying, “Next time, we should add more fill-in-the-blank.”

That being said, if you want to check out a ‘real’ Thai Pad See Ew recipe, check out this link: Real Pad See Ew Recipe and for a great Thai cooking blog, check this link:  Real Thai Cooking.

Here is the recipe for Pad See Ew Badger Girl Style:

1 Tbsp Peanut Oil, or another oil that can be cooked at a high temperature

1 onion, sliced in half and then in thin slices

2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips

3 bunches of broccolini

1 16 oz package of white mushrooms, sliced

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced in thin slices

4-6 oz rice noodles, fresh or soaked according to box directions

1 cup chopped fresh basil

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of spinach, optional

1 bunch of scallions, chopped, optional

1/4 cup crushed peanuts, optional

Sauce:

1/2 cup sweet soy sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

4 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

TIP: To keep things moving, I usually slice and prep my veggies while the noodles soak.

  1. Whisk together ingredients for sauce and set aside.
  2. Heat 1 Tbsp Peanut Oil on high heat.
  3. Add veggies and cook for 2-3 minutes.I usually cover them and stir occasionally.
  4. Add chicken and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes or until cooked through.
  5. Add noodles and cook for 1 minute.
  6. Add sauce and chopped basil. Simmer for 1 minute.
  7. For bonus veggies, serve over a bed of fresh spinach. You could also serve with chopped scallions and/or crushed peanuts.


 

TIME TIP: Times are approximations. The cooking goes fast but pay attention to the veggies and the meat to make sure they are done to your liking.

CSA folks: Notice what’s missing? Yup, scallions. I chopped them and had them all ready to go but then realized I had set them in the same place where there had been raw chicken goo. Not wanting to risk salmonella, I tossed them. I guess this just means I have to make this recipe again when we next receive fresh scallions.


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