Pla Sam Rod

Sauce for Fish
2 Tbsp Tamarind
2 Tbsp Palm Sugar
1 TbspFish Sauce
1/4 Cup Water
10 Garlic cloves, finely minced
1-2Thai Chili's, finely minced
2 Stalks Green Onion, fine circular cut
1 Tbsp Oil

Saute minced garlic and Chilies till fragrant, add Tamarind, Palm Sugar, Fish Sauce and Water. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Toss in green onions after the sauce is pulled from heat.

Fish
6-8 Pieces of Cod Fillets
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Cups Panko
1 inch Oil in a pan

Dip cod fillet into flour, then into milk-eggwash, then through the panko crumbs pressing to embed the panko onto the fish. Fry in an inch of hot (but not scorching) oil till golden brown on each side. Remove to paper towel, pat fish if there is any excess oil. Set on serving platter, top with sauce and fried basil. Serve immediately.

Garnish Fried Holy Basil Leaves
Throw basil into hot oil and fry briefly (do this before frying the fish to perfume the oil).

Shrimp Egg Foo Young

2 cups bean sprouts
3 spring onions cut
10 large shrimp cut in half or other shrimp
4 large eggs
1Tsp cornstarch
Add thinly slivered white onion if desired

Place sprouts, shrimp, spring onions and eggs in a large mixing bowl using your hand, mix all ingredients together until incorporated. You will want to break the sprouts as you go and be sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved into the egg mixture.

Heat an inch of oil in the bottom of a wok, get your oil hot enough to make one of the sprouts sizzle. Using a ladle, fill it with the mixture incorporating the egg as well, slowly lower the egg mixture into the hot oil keeping it circular. Repeat with a second ladle.

The mixture should make four patties in two batches. Cook on one side about 3 minutes, ladle a little oil over the top of the patty to set egg, carefully flip and cook for another minute or two. Note a second technique is to deep fry the patty, lower the ladle directly into the fryer, only release the patty into the oil, once the patty has fully formed. Make sure the ladle you use has a rubber handle or you can burn your hand if it heats up.

I always set the patty directly on top of folded paper towels, top with another paper towel and push out any excess oil, but do what you want.

The gravy is a no-brainer, it is merely 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, a pinch of sugar, 1 cup of water and a tablespoon of corn starch. Bring to a rapid simmer on top of the stove, heat through completely and thicken.

Garnish with cut spring onions.

Note* you can use chicken, pork or beef instead of shrimp, you should, however, cook and cool any meats you choose to add first. Shrimp should be added raw as it cooks quickly. You can also make an all vegetable patty. Some veggies should be cooked first as they may be hard in texture. Either way, you can really play with the ingredient profile, bean sprouts and green onion are standard and sprouts give it structure.  

Note* If you want to eat your egg foo young with a twist serve it up as a St. Paul Sandwich. This is a St. Louis takeout chop suey house item invented by Steven Yuen (who's hometown was St. Paul). The sandwich consists of an egg foo young patty on square white bread with mayo or Miracle Whip, iceberg lettuce, tomato, and pickle slices (with or without sliced white onion). You will either love it or hate it.

Pad Thai Deluxe

For the Sauce
6 tsp Patis (fish sauce) salty taste
1-1 1/2 Tbsp Tamarind Paste Concentrate, sour taste
4 tbsp Palm Sugar Paste*see note obviously a sweet taste
1/8 cup water, if needed. (if noodles are sticking together or too dry)

I always mix the ingredients in a small bowl for easier stir-frying; you can grab only a few bottles while trying to keep the wok moving. The other reason is taste; every person has a different sweet, sour, and salty pallet. Pad Thai sauce varies in every place I have ever eaten. Some are very heavy on the sour of the tamarind, while others are more balanced. Mixing your sauce ingredients first, you have exactly the taste you want; there is no right or wrong; it is merely a preference.

These are the ingredients for the excellent Pad Thai Sauce. Fish sauce, palm sugar, and Tamarind paste. Additionally, though you can add a dab of Nam Prik Pao or even just a little straight Asian chile paste, this is optional.

For the Dish
8-9 oz Thai Rice Noodles, pre-soak in warm water (don't over soak, leave flexible but firm)
4 tbsp Peanut Oil
6 oz (abt.) 10 Jumbo Shrimp
1 cup Chicken sliced, then chopped bite-sized
1/2 cup Tofu cut into half-inch rectangles (pre-soak in a little of the prepared sauce in a plastic baggie)
5 Cloves of Garlic
2-3 Shallots, sliced thin
2-3 dried whole Thai Red Chili, aka Bird's eye chili (optional)
2 tbsp Pickled Radish (sweet) (I didn't have any this time)
2 large Eggs
1/8 to 1/4 cup water  (if needed to help with the softening of the noodles)
add at the end of cooking and stir-fry briefly
1 cup sliced longwise, then chopped 1/2 inch
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
Fresh Garnishes
extra fresh sprouts, if desired
1/2 bunch Fresh Cilantro, trimmed (this is optional and dependent on taste preference, not traditional)
1/2 cup unsalted crushed peanuts
fresh lime wedges

The add-in ingredients are all prepped before cooking starts.

I usually season the chicken breast with salt and pepper before stir-frying it.

Tofu is the first item to go into the wok; you want to fry it crispy. Don't worry about it drinking up oil; it won't.

Next, I like to saute the shrimp until just done and remove it to a bowl with the Tofu. Add it back in later. 

Saute the garlic and Thai chili pepper, add shallots, and cook till fragrant and golden.

Add in chicken and saute till just done.

Add 2 tablespoons more oil to the pan and have a small amount of water on hand. Add the pre-soaked, drained noodles and stir-fry for about two minutes. If the noodles are sticking or gummy, skip to the next step... or use fresh refrigerated Pad Thai noodles

Add the sauce and a slight drizzle of water, continue stir-frying, and test a noodle for doneness.

Crack 3 eggs into the wok and swirl the egg back and forth; continue to scramble, push noodles on top of an egg just before it is done, and toss well with noodles, chicken, garlic, shallots, chilies, and sauce.

Add the Tofu and shrimp back in and toss together with the ingredients. Add sprouts and green onion. Stir fry for another minute. Remove the contents of the wok to a serving platter or bowl. Garnish with crushed peanuts, green onions, fresh sprouts, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Notes*
Palm Sugar Paste (sap tapped from the trunk of a sugar palm tree, semi-crystallized into a paste  )
Tamarind, a sour fruit
Patis Fish Sauce, get a good one; don't buy that garbage in the grocery store.
Many authentic recipes contain a little bit of dried shrimp. My pallet finds the intense fishiness and aroma unpleasant. I'm being honest about my American pallet. If it is something you like, toss in a teaspoon during cooking.

Thai Beef Fried Rice

I love Thai fried rice it is fragrant and nowhere near as oily as traditional Chinese fried rice. I love the heat of the Thai Chili, the flavor, and aroma of Thai Holy Basil and the delicate taste of shallots, what is not to love. I prefer the Pineapple fried rice for myself however my other half loves beef so that is what I am preparing this time.

Thai Basil has a somewhat licorice, peppery flavor. Thai Chili's (birdseye chilies) have a wonderful heat. Shallots offer a delicate onion flavor and garlic, well what is not to love.

4 cups cooked Jasmine rice, day old and refrigerated overnight
1/4 pound beef, sliced then chopped small
4 Cloves Garlic smashed or minced
1-2 Fresh Thai Chili's, smashed or minced (optional)
1 Shallot, sliced very thin
3 eggs
Small handful of Thai Holy Basil Leaves  (no, you cannot substitute Italian sweet basil)
2 stalks Green onions, cut
2 Tbsp Oil

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp Soy
2 Tsp Palm Sugar or regular sugar

My personal advise is to combine the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar together in a small bowl. Make sure the sugar dissolves, microwave for 30 seconds if needed. Add a little at a time to your rice till you hit the right amount of sauce for you. (Oyster sauce and Sweet Soy are not traditional, sometimes I add a few dribbles into my sauce mix, however that is a personal preference).

Heat oil in wok till hot, add garlic and stir-fry a few seconds, add shallots and optional Thai chili, stir fry for another few second, add beef and cook till just done. Add rice, chop to break up and toss with other ingredients till well incorporated and mostly cooked. Scoot aside rice mixture, crack two egg into wok in are made available by moved rice mixture, swirl and scramble with the spatula till mostly cooked, toss rice on top of egg mixture, toss everything together and stir fry another minute. Add sauces and sugar, continue stirring till distributed. Add Thai Holy basil and green onions, cook another few seconds. Remove a serving to a bowl and top with fried egg. Immediately remove from wok to a plate or bowl. Garnish with a sprinkle of black pepper.

Serve with a side of Prik Nam Pla

3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
4-5 Thai chili's small sliced
1/2 to 1 Lime, juiced per taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and stir to combine.

Thai Fried Breakfast Rice with a Spam and Egg Twist

3 cups cooked Jasmine rice, day old and refrigerated overnight
3 1/4 inch thick slices of Spam, diced
4 Cloves Garlic smashed or minced
1-2 Fresh Thai Chili's, smashed or minced (optional)
1//2 small onion, sliced into slivers, then slivers cut in 1/4ths, (or shallots if you have them)
2 eggs
Small handful of Thai Holy Basil Leaves  (no, you cannot substitute Italian sweet basil)
2 stalks Green onions, cut
1 1/2 Tsp Oyster Sauce
1 1/2 Tsp Soy
1 Tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Oil

Heat oil in wok till hot, crack 1 whole egg into hot oil, allow to fry, spoon hot oil over the top of the egg, cooked to desired doneness, remove egg to a small plate and set aside.  Drop in diced spam and fry to desired crispiness, add garlic and stir-fry a few seconds, add onion or shallots and optional Thai chili, stir fry for another few second, add rice, chop to break up and toss with other ingredients till well incorporated and mostly cooked. Scoot aside rice mixture, crack two egg into wok in are made available by moved rice mixture, swirl and scramble with the spatula till mostly cooked, toss rice on top of egg mixture, toss everything together and stir fry another minute. Add sauces and sugar, continue stirring till distributed. Add Thai Holy basil and green onions, cook anther few seconds. Remove a serving to a bowl and top with fried egg. Immediately remove from wok to a plate or bowl. Garnish with a sprinkle of black pepper and addition green onion.

Serve with a side of Prik Nam Pla

3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
4-5 Thai chili's small sliced
1/2 to 1 Lime, juiced per taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and stir to combine.

Garlic Beef

1-2 Pounds of sirloin, sliced very thin and chopped
15 cloves or whole bulb garlic, minced (4 heaping Tbsp)
3 small onions, cut into slivers
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp sweet soy
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp Chinese chili paste
1-2 tbsp oil

Consider adding a vegetable like peas, broccoli raab etc...

Heat oil in a skillet, add all minced garlic and saute 1 minute, add beef and cook stirring, cook till meat just loses its pink color, add white onion, saute another minute, add sauces, water and chili paste with black pepper. simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
Serve over steamed rice, garnish with scallion and extra chili paste if desired