As with any stir fry, you want to have everything prepped before you start. Suggestion: put the chicken in the freezer until stiff so you can easily slice it as thinly as you'd like.
About halfway through...
The noodles get tossed in...
And done!
EAT.
Pad Kee Mao Gai
(Drunken Noodles with Chicken)
adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai chiles
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin pieces (about 1" x 1/4")
1/4 cup fish sauce (I used nuoc nam)
1/4 cup black soy sauce
1/4 cup Golden Mountain sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
28 ounces fresh wide rice noodles (they come in a 2-pound bag; I just scaled back a bit), separated into individual noodles
Method
Heat oil in wok over high heat. When oil begins to smoke, add garlic, onion and Thai chiles. Stir fry until golden, no more than a minute.
Add chicken, fish sauce, black soy sauce, Golden Mountain sauce and palm sugar (note: it will seem very saucy; don't worry, the noodles will soak it all up later). Stir fry for 2 minutes, then add red and yellow bell peppers. Continue stir frying for 2 to 3 more minutes until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
Turn off heat, add basil and stir until just wilted. Add the rice noodles and toss thoroughly to coat. Serve immediately.
NOTES
Oh man, it was awesome. No pretense here, no beating around the bush. This kicked ass. One bite and I was jumping for joy. I just couldn't believe it: my pad kee mao tasted like pad kee mao!
I was just so damn thrilled. Before making this, I looked online quite a bit for recipes, and for tips, and plenty of other home cooks said they have never been able to achieve that "Thai restaurant" flavor of pad kee mao at home. So, I honestly didn't think I would nail the flavor my first time out of the gate. But I did. And now I feel even more confident about moving forward with all my other Thai favorites. I think that's almost the best part. That, and having leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
So happy!
Update: I make this far, far more often with rice than with noodles. The main dish is still the main dish, makes no difference. It's awesome either way.
43 comments:
That's so great! I love the wide, fresh rice noodles too, but I don't think I've ever had "Drunken Noodles." Sounds like I need to trot over to Chinatown, get me some noodles and give this recipe a try!
Do you know what "Golden Mountain" sauce is?
And here I sit at 7am...reading...drooling...wanting this for breakfast. Is that wrong?
Love the absence of green bell peppers - is that you or the original recipe?
Super kudos on your ability to replicate!! I know the high that brings.
Holy shit does that look good.
Thanks Amy! It's like you with your beef and broccoli. :) And the absence of green bell peppers is all me. The original recipe called for green + tomatoes. Not for me.
Julia, it's very similar to light soy sauce but it has wheat flour in it. It's thicker like oyster sauce and definitely provides something different, as does the black soy sauce. And I was going to write a long paragraph about using the specified ingredients but I chucked it. And apparently they're called "drunken" or "drunkard's" because people eat them drunk? They're really spicy for that reason too? Stories vary, as most food origin stories do.
Ok, so what if we don't like bell peppers at all...how would you suggest altering?
You freak. :P
No, actually, in Thailand, pad kee mao almost never has bell peppers at all. I had a red and yellow at home that needed to be used and I thought this would be a good way. Howevah - the flavoring of the sauce, chiles and basil are far more important here. The vegetables can vary (onion, shallot, peppers, broccoli, leeks, carrots, cauliflower, whatever the eff) as can the meat, though (ground) chicken or pork are used most often.
after reading the variations i'm wanting this even more than when i first read the post.
ok, so i'm having a bad day, can you come cook this for me tonight? :)
Hmm...don't know what happened to my earlier posted comment. It went *poof*!
Anyway, what I was saying was that I need to try this since I'm getting tired of making pad see ew. The part where you said you've verified this recipe tastes like a restaurant's sold me!
...but which restaurant? Thai Nakorn? Siam? Sutha? I'm curious. Not that it matters!
E - Steve and I said it was like a cross between Sutha and Nakorn. The only reason we hold Siam's in just slightly higher regard is because he somehow manages to make the noodles not break or clump. I'll have to practice that.
And where do you buy your noodles??
D - honey, tonight, I really wish I could. ♥
I buy 'em at Saigon City. It's usually whatever is cheapest. But that ends up being this one in the blue package, if I recall correctly. I'll have to pay more attention next time what the brand is called.
Great blog! I've been wanting to get into thai food and this is definitely inspiring. If you're bored and have a sec...just out my blog: themightyrib.blogspot.com
Wow! You make this look so easy. I haven't gotten the guts to cook thai food at home as of yet, but your posts are very inspiring :)
Holly, with the right ingredients from the Thai market in Anaheim, and my new wok, I couldn't believe how easy it was. You should do it!
Thanks Kevin!
This would be a hit at our place. I find it's so hard to make Thai dishes from scratch that actually taste like something you could get at a restaurant. If the look of the dish is an indicator, this dish could be an exception.
PG, as I said to Holly above, you just need the right ingredients - black soy sauce, Golden Mountain sauce, Thai chiles, Thai basil - once you have those, the rest is easy as can be, and it WILL taste like the restaurant stuff! :D
This looks so good. I've never tried adding fish sauce to anything, but so many recipes call for it. I'm not a big fan of fish...does it taste, you know, "fishy?"
jessyburke88@gmail.com
Jessica, it really doesn't. Though Vietnamese fish sauce, to me, is funkier, so try to get Thai. It's really just very salty, but has a great effect when used in a stir fry. Or to pickle the Thai chiles.
I make this a few times a year and LOVE it! My boyfriend has trouble eating spicy food so I either tone it down a bit or make it when he's out of town.
Jessica my favorite Thai fish sauce is Golden Boy brand and if I can't find that I use Squid. Fish sauce works like anchovies in Italian food. It adds depth(umami) not fish flavor.
Kristi, that's so perfect, I can't believe I didn't think to say it that way. Yes, it adds umami! And I love these too. I may have to make some tonight with my odds and ends and leftover chicken!
I'll have to practice that.
This looks absolutely delicious - I've recently discovered a love of Thai food.
Did I miss it - what exactly is Golden Mountain sauce??
Golden Mountain sauce is a sweeter, saltier soy sauce. You really need GM sauce, light soy sauce, black soy sauce, fish sauce, etc., etc. to recreate true Thai flavors at home, like what you have in the restaurants. I didn't think it was possible, but with the bottles of all the sauces and Thai chiles and basil in hand, it was perfect!
Melissa, Surprise!!!
I've taken some time off..you know what I mean, you get burnt out.
Coming here this afternoon is like finding a present under the Christmas tree for me. I love Thai and stir fry and want to try this.
I'm going to have to hunt down a few of the exotic ingredients but I think i can find them. This looks soooo delicious.
Glad all is well with you! ~Hugs~
Hi Katherine! How wonderful to see you stop by here. I definitely know what you mean. ;) I do hope all is well with you now.
this makes me wish that brian liked thai food, it looks (and sounds) most excellent. congrats on your success!
Nicely done! Thai cooking is intimidating to me... you made this look easy. It looks FANTASTIC!
Duly bookmarked and in the line-up to try soon.
Just curious, what happened to all your posts before Aug of 2009?
I scrapped everything in July 2009 and started over. Personal reasons, though it seems a drastic thing, looking back on it. I saved all of the posts on my hard drive though and have been reposting certain favorites as I see fit. This page is much more about stuff I really want to save for myself now, rather than standard social food blogging, which I got a bit too wrapped up in, neurotic thing that I am. ;)
Thanks for visiting. I hope you make the Thai dishes I have here!
Terrific job! Well done, you two! Thanks for posting this recipe! We are also Thai freaks and have been trying so hard to replicate. This is the closest we've come.
We also add Bok Choy, dried red pepper flakes or dried red chinese chiles and a couple scrambled eggs as our local places do this too.
I measured everything exactly. We had dried noodles. I weighed them once they were ready and we ended up being able to add the whole package, which was around 40 ounces wet. We have a gigantic batch of yummy pad kee mao goodness...OMG, I am so excited, I can't wait to eat again!
We always have jasmine rice with ours too, probably out of habit to temper the 5 star heat!
THANKS THANKS THANKS!!
smellyrhinostudio - I'm so glad you loved it like we did! And do! I have made this since, a few times, and served over various noodles and rice. Whatever works, whatever I have on hand, etc. If you like this one, you should really try the gai pad grapow I have on here as well. Made it again this week - it's a regular around here.
I just have discovered this dish at a Thai place. It was so spicy but great, I love the tofu with it or chicken..Now I can make it and my hubby and I can save the $17.00 for lunch (tip included) for a movie out or two, we are seniors and get a big discount at a neat living room theater place..yummee!!!!!!
That's wonderful, Anonymous and I'm glad to be of help. As I said above, I make it with what I have on hand (proteins and vegetables can vary) and served it over rice instead and it's still come out great every time. Best of luck!
Hi: just wished to say that I followed your recipe for Pad Kee Mao for dinner tonight- it was excellent. I have been trying to get the sauce right, and I will for the first time I got pretty close. I used Golden sauce, soy ( couldn't find Black soy at my Asian grocer) and oyster. One thing to say, I used about 8 bird chilies, which has to be about the 2 tablespoons your menu suggests, and it was up there heat wise , I think I would back off a bit next time. Anyway, thanks for a great Friday night dinner in Boston with snow
You're welcome! I'm so thrilled to hear how it turned out for you. I would say re. the black soy - buy it online if you can't find it. It's definitely worth it for long-term Thai cooking at home. Fish sauce too.
And sorry about the spice level. :) I do love heat. So I don't think I can be trusted completely when I say something "isn't too spicy." ;)
WOW!!!!!!!!! I just made this tonight and it was SO SO SO good! Thanks!
That's fantastic, Laura! I love hearing that.
I wanted to make sure you saw my response to your comment on my blog -
http://www.babystepsonline.net/blog/2011/05/09/drunken-noodles-are-safe-during-pregnancy/
Just saw your post. Love Thai dishes and have a variation of this recipe myself that I love. I also recently made Thom Kha Ghai and it was FANTASTIC. My fav Thai soup. Would love to see your version and compare. :)
Mmm I love that soup. I don't make it at home, though, as my husband is not a fan of that one and I don't want to be eating it myself for days on end. It's something I get out at one local Thai place. :)
been wanting to make this dish for a long time. 2012, this post is still here, wow!
I live in a vary... uncultured part of the world. After some detective work, I've hunted down everything BUT the chilis. Do you have any suggestions for substitutes? I don't like things very spicey, mind...
Oh! Thanks for this post. This stuff looks good.
Hi Anon! Glad to see you've returned and still want to make the Thai at home. As for the chiles, I think 1 serrano pepper would be a good substitute, or if you want to go even less spicy, one jalapeno. Minced, in either case. Best of luck and thanks for stopping by!
Not quite like my local restuarant does it, but I've got a snap-shot of the two flavors in my head, and I'm pretty sure I can get it closer. Next Time I'm going to try all Golden Mountain and no soy. A little bit more sugar, a bit more garlic (I used 4 instead of twelve, I'm thinking 8) and a bit more basil. I'm thinking I'll add some other veggies too, for next time. Maybe some Carrot and some of those bean pod things, assuming I can find the latter. But this was a valiant first attempt, and your recipe was an excellent base to build on and tinker with.
I suppose all restaaurants are a bit different, but this tastes just like a cross between my and my husband's two favorite restaurants in Orange County, CA, so it works for us. :) Glad this gave you a good base, Anon. Enjoy!
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