Pad Thai

We had this delicious Pad Thai for dinner tonight. I cannot take all the credit - I had plenty help from Mum, & Tobi (who was the chief prawn peeler.)
The preparation takes a bit of time, but the cooking is really quite quick; even if it does sound a tad complicated (you will see what I mean) 
The final product is full of delicious flavours, & once you have tasted it, I imagine you'll agree, that it is well worth the effort. 
It is a good idea to have absolutely everything ready, chopped, & prepped before you start cooking to save yourself a little stress.
As with the Prawn & Chilli Linguine from a couple blogs back - use Irish prawns!!! :) 
The recipe below serves 4 & is from Gordon Ramsay's World Kitchen.


Ingredients:
250g thin dried Rice Noodles
3 Tbsp Caster Sugar
4 Tbsp Fish Sauce
4 Tbsp Tamarind Paste
8 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Shallots, chopped
4 large cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Red Chilli, deseeded & finely chopped
200g raw Prawns, peeled & deveined
4 medium Eggs
100g Beansprouts
4 Spring Onions, trimmed, green part only, cut into finger lengths
6 Tbsp Roasted Peanuts
1 Lime, quartered


Method:
Cook the Rice Noodles according to the pack instructions. 
Meanwhile, combine the Sugar, Fish Sauce & Tamarind Paste in a small bowl & stir well. 
Heat half the Oil in a wok. Add the Shallots, Garlic & Chilli and stir over a medium heat until fragrant. Add the Prawns, & stir fry for a couple of minutes until they turn a pinky-orange colour & opaque. When this happens, remove the prawns to a plate & set aside. 
Add the cooked rice noodles, and a little splash of water, to the sauce in the wok. Stir fry for a few minutes.
Push the ingredients in the wok to one side, and add the rest of the oil to the other side. Crack the Eggs over  the oil & scramble lightly until they are almost cooked, & the fold in the noodles.
Return the prawns to the wok, and add the Beansprouts & Spring Onions. Stir briefly over the heat. 
Serve immediately, sprinkled with peanuts & with a lime wedge on the side.

Prawn & Chilli Linguine

This is one of my favourite dishes. It is really easy, really quick & really, really tasty!
I found the recipe a few years back in Bill Granger's 'Bills Sydney Food' - a great cook book packed with simple & delicious recipes. 
The recipe below serves 3-4 adults. 
A tip for those living in Ireland...it is really important to use Irish Prawns, in my opinion, for this dish. They are so much sweeter & juicer than the Tiger Prawns that are available in Ireland, which are generally farm-grown in Thailand. And of course, it goes without saying, you are helping sustain Irish jobs! :)
Sorry I have no picture of this one - my camera is being a tad temperamental today!


Ingredients:
500g Linguine or Spaghetti
8 tablespoons olive oil 
20 large Prawns, peeled & deveined
Sea salt
Freshly ground Black pepper
4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
3-4 Small Red Chillies, finely chopped
50g Butter
100g Rocket, washed & dried

Handful of Pinenuts (optional)

To Serve:
Grated Parmesan
Green Salad
Garlic Bread


Method:
Cook the spaghetti as per packet instructions. While it is cooking, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the prawns & season with salt & pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the chillis & garlic. (Throw in the pine nuts at this stage too if you are using them) Cook for another 1 minute. Reduce to a low heat & then add the butter. Once all the butter has melted, add the rocket. Add the pasta to the mixture & toss until all the pasta has been coated. Sprinkle with parmesan before serving!


Yum!