soy sauce | Jenna's Everything Blog

For years I pretty much only ordered curry from Thai restaurants–green curry, red curry, yellow curry, Panang curry–I loved (and love) them all. Then something happened. In May of this year, our Bible study leaders David and Beth ordered a smorgasbord of Thai food for our group. As I sampled all the new flavors and my taste buds sang a song of celebration, I realized that I had been shortsighted in my years of curry exclusivity. I’d been missing out on fantastic dishes such as Pad Kra Pao, Pad Woon Sen, and the awesomest of awesomes: Pad See Ew.

Pad See Ew has become one of our staple orders from what is hands down our favorite Thai restaurant in Chicago, Siam Noodle and Rice. At $6.50 for a dinner-sized portion, it’s a great deal and it has a fabulous flavor.

Pad See Ew is very simple: Chinese broccoli, wide noodles, pork, and egg are its main ingredients. I’ve been hankering to reproduce this dish at home for quite a while now. I even briefly considered accosting the owners of the restaurant and demanding a no-pay internship in their kitchen so that I could learn the secret of this dish. Though I have yet to take that bold step, my recent trip to Golden Pacific Market enabled me to make it at home. It’s not 100% like what we get at the restaurant, but it’s in the ballpark, which I am very happy with for now. Further experimentation will ensue, but I couldn’t withhold this from you until that future and possibly unattainable point of perfection . . . so here is an excellent version you can toss together in 20 minutes at home. Simple ingredients, minimal prep time, and quick cook time make this a great and interesting weeknight meal. An added plus–for you vegetarians out there, I have also made this substituting the pork chop with 2 extra eggs, and it’s equally fantastic. Let’s have at it!

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

2 TBS peanut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pork chop, thinly sliced

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 TBS sugar

2 TBS light soy sauce

2 TBS dark soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce (optional)

1 lb fresh flat rice noodles

1 lb Chinese broccoli (can substitute kale or regular broccoli)

The dish comes together very quickly, so first prep all your ingredients: mince the garlic, thinly slice the pork, beat the 2 eggs together, and mix the two soy sauces, sugar, and fish sauce in a small bowl or cup.

Wash the Chinese broccoli–you can substitute kale (so I’ve been told) or regular broccoli, but this stuff is amazing and you should get your mitts on it if at all possible.

Now chop the broccoli in 2-inch slices.

You can use the broccoli stems if you split them lengthwise down the middle and then give them a rough dice, or you can just use the leaves.

Take the large flat noodle (which in my case, came in one big sheet) . . .

. . . and slice it into rectangles about the length and width of two fingers put together.

Make sure to peel the noodles apart so that they’re not stuck together. This is much easier to do if the noodles are room temperature, so if you can remember (I never do), take the noodle sheet out of the refrigerator an hour or so before you start making this.

Let’s get cooking! Heat the oil in a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the pork slivers and fry for another 1-2 minutes.

Very quickly, the pork will start to cook through:

While it’s still pink in places, add the noodles and stir to incorporate for another minute.

You’ll notice in the picture above that I hadn’t separated the noodles, thinking they would naturally come apart once they were heated. I was wrong, and this caused problems for me, but that’s why I’m here. To be your guinea pig. To help you avoid the pitfalls. So read my lips: all your noodles should be separated before you add them in!

Add the sauce mixture:

Stirfry for 2 minutes until well incorporated. Quick note–I’ve made the sauce both with and without the addition of fish sauce, and it’s really good both ways. Fish sauce is awesome and very important in Thai cooking, but its effects in this particular dish are very subtle and you may only notice its presence/absence if you’re really thinking about it.

Make a well in the middle of the pan or wok, and add the eggs.

Let them set into a half-cooked “omelette” before breaking them apart and stirring them into the dish.

Finally, add the broccoli stems (if you’re using them) and stirfry for a couple minutes before adding the leaves and stirring them in until wilted.

Give ‘er the old taste test, and if you like the dish sweeter or saltier or saucier, simply add a little more sugar and/or soy sauce.

Isn’t it beautiful? I love the bright green broccoli leaves.

Who would have though that such a simple sauce could create such a wonderful flavor?

*Note: Many recipes I found online include oyster sauce. I asked the owner of a Thai restaurant in town I frequent (Azha) about this, and he told me that their chef doesn’t use it. However, he does use a Thai sweet soy sauce, which I’ll be searching for on my next trip to Golden Pacific Market. The experimentation is not over, and if I find a better version you can be sure I will share it with you all!

Click here for printer-friendly version: Pad See Ew

This is so simple to throw together—please don’t be dismayed by the ingredient list. A little chopping, a little mixing, a little wok-action, and you’ve got a delicious, colorful, fresh meal for the clamoring masses.

A couple words of wisdom that apply to all stirfries:

-Do all your chopping and sauce-mixing beforehand, because once you start up the wok it comes together quickly.

-Always cook over high heat. It’s the way God designed Chinese food. Don’t go against his plan!

-Fry the meat in 2 or more batches, and wait until the oil is hot before putting it in. If you put in too much meat at once, it will crowd the pan and turn into a liquidy bubbly thing that will steam-cook instead of frying. Believe me—that happened my whole first year of stirfrying. I was too lazy, and I should probably issue an official apology to anyone who consumed those tough, colorless pieces of animal flesh.

-Be creative! Any stirfry maker will tell you that it’s extremely easy to switch up the ingredients. You can use this basic marinade with any meat, you can add any sauce (plum sauce, chili sauce, black bean sauce, etc.), and any veggies.

Ingredients

MARINADE

2 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS water

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

2 TBS Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tsp sesame oil

Dash white pepper

SAUCE

3 TBS hoisin sauce (heaping)

1 TBS oyster sauce

1 TBS honey

2 TBS Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1/3 c chicken stock

2 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp five spice

2 tsp soy sauce

STIRFRY

2 TBS peanut oil, divided

3 chicken breasts (1.25 lbs)

1/2 tsp five spice, divided

1/4 tsp black pepper, divided

4 tsp honey, divided

1 large white onion

1 TBS diced ginger

4 cloves garlic

1 red pepper

1 yellow squash (summer squash)

1 zucchini

1 bunch green onions

1/2 tsp salt

White rice or noodles, to serve

Start by cutting the chicken into thin strips or small cubes. I went the thin strips route.

Place it in the marinade for 15-20 minutes.

Now, grab your fresh stuff:

Mince your ginger and garlic and set them aside in a little bowl. Dice your veggies and set them aside in another bowl. Mix the sauce and chop your green onions. Everything should be ready before the frying begins.

Here we have (clockwise from top left): a bowl of chopped veggies; a bowl of marinating chicken; the sauce; a ramekin of ginger and garlic; a ramekin of green onions. Aaaah. I love order.

Heat 1 TBS of peanut oil in a wok or very large skillet. When it starts smoking, add half of the chicken (drain with a slotted spoon so the marinade stays behind for the most part). It will spatter–so be ready!

Add 2 tsp of honey, 1/8 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp of five spice to the chicken and fry over high heat for about 5 minutes.

The honey will start to caramelize, giving your chicken a lovely dark brown crust.

After 5 minutes, remove. Heat the remaining oil for the rest of the chicken and repeat the process, removing the chicken and setting it aside.

Add your ginger and garlic to the hot wok and fry for no more than 60 seconds, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add your veggies and your salt. It’s very important to salt the veggies, because that way the seasoning will adhere before the sauce comes into play. Cook for 4 minutes over high heat, stirring.