I have a confession to make. I have been the MOST unproductive human being during this lockdown. Sure, I’ve played all the animal crossing, watched all the Netflix, eaten all the carbs… but my dreams of creating a beautifully organized living space never came to fruition. When I saw a few days of rain heading our way, I decided it was time. I would plop my ass down on the kitchen floor and organize my damn kitchen cabinets. Much to my demise, and your benefit, in the very first cabinet I set out to organize I FOUND MY ELECTRIC WOK hidden in the back. Actually, it’s my mom’s electric wok that I stole from her years ago. I’m pretty sure she bought this from a garage sale when I was in middle school. It is quite frankly, the best thing ever. You literally just plug it in and this thing gets screaming hot. Instead of setting the wok aside and continuing on with the organization, I decided to make a stir fry. But not just any stir fry, I needed to make pad see ew. Now, I am the pickiest person alive when it comes to Thai food. I love Thai food- but it has to be good Thai food. So it should come to no surprise- this recipe took an embarrassingly long time for me to perfect. That being said, it was worth the countless trips to 99 Ranch in the middle of a pandemic (I waited on line for an hour each time, dedication my friends). But the result was perfection. This is everything I look for in Pad See Ew. It’s not too sweet but still has a distinct sweetness and is super saucy. I’ve learned the trick is to have the authentic ingredients. I tried substituting and to be honest, while still delicious, it just didn’t taste the same. If you decide to make this, I do strongly advise you order at least the dark soy sauce from amazon, the rest of ingredients should be fairly easy to find in a local grocery store. You can substitute the sweet soy sauce for just more sugar. Also if you are unfamiliar with cooking with woks, the trick is to have everything prepped and ready to go before you start stir frying (it’s a very quick process, so things can easily burn if it’s not at hand, ready to go).
Pad See Ew: (Makes 2 large servings)
For the chicken:
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tbs dark soy sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs vegetable oil
lots of cracked pepper, to taste
For the sauce:
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dark soy sauce
2 tsp sweet soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
Cracked black pepper, to taste
For the stir fry:
4 cloves garlic, chopped
5-6 stems Chinese broccoli, cut into 2 inch pieces
16 ounces wide rice noodles
1 egg, beaten
Combine, the 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into a bowl and add the chicken. Make sure the chicken is completed coated and set to the side.
While the chicken marinates, bring 2.5 quarts of water to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to heat, chop your garlic and Chinese broccoli. Set to the side. In a small bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sweet soy sauce, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust as needed. If you like it a little sweeter, add a little more sugar. If you want it a little more savory, add more soy sauce etc.
Once the water is boiling, add your rice noodles and allow to cook for about 30 seconds, drain and set them aside.
Before you start to stir fry, you’ll want to set up a station for yourself. I use an electric wok, so I let that preheat to 375 degrees while I get organized. You’ll want to have the marinated chicken, chopped garlic, chopped Chinese broccoli, prepared noodles, prepared sauce, and beaten egg all ready to go. If you do not have a wok, you can use a large sauté pan.
Once the wok is preheated, add a little vegetable oil, about one teaspoon, allow to heat then add chicken. Sauté until cooked through, about four minutes depending on the heat of your pan. The chicken will become caramelized and delicious! Remove chicken from wok and set aside. Add in the garlic, sauté for a few seconds or until fragrant, then add the Chinese broccoli. Continuously stir to prevent garlic from burning and cook until the leaves wilt and the stems become darker green- about 2-3 mins. Add in the rice noodles, sauté for about 2 mins, careful not to break up the rice noods too much, then add in the cooked chicken. Stir to combine then add in the sauce. It will seem like too much sauce but trust me! Let it reduce for a few minutes until all the ingredients are just coated. Push the ingredients to one side of the wok, add in your beaten egg. Let the egg cook for about 30 seconds then mix in with the rest of the dish. Pour into a serving dish and enjoy 🙂
A Practical Mess 