Pad See Ew
My favorite Thai dish is perfect when the weather gets a bit chilly and there’s something good to snuggle up on the couch and binge-watch. Who’s watching Dahmer right now? Actually, I don’t recommend eating anything if you’re watching Dahmer. Maybe something a little more light-hearted, like Breaking Bad or American Horror Story.
INGREDIENTS
8 oz dried wide rice noodles
8 oz beef, chicken, pork, or tofu, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 steamed broccoli, cut into 2-inch-long pieces with stems attached
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp granulated sugar, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for cooking eggs
Thai black soy sauce or Chinese dark soy sauce, to taste
For the Sauce:
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
DIRECTIONS
For Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli:
Place entire head of broccoli into silicone steamer basket in your Instant Pot. Add just enough water, usually about 1 cup of water, to cover the base of your Instant Pot bowl. Put on lid and lock. Turn valve to seal. Hit the Manual button and set 1 minute. Once the Instant Pot beeps and reaches pressure, do a quick pressure release.
Prepare the noodles: Place dried noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients, allowing the water to cool, and stirring and separating the noodles occasionally with your hands. (This will take 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the brand.) When ready, noodles will be white, limp and bouncy, almost soft to the bite. (They will cook a little more later.) Pour off and discard all the water, fluff noodles with your hands and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the meat with the soy sauce and let stand at room temperature. Alternatively, If you’re using tofu, slice the tofu into 1 inch cubes and fry in a pan - DRY - for 5 minutes each side until golden brown, then place in a bowl with soy sauce and set aside.
Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, whisk the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and white pepper to combine.
Place the remaining noodle ingredients in bowls and line them up in the order they’ll be added to the pan: garlic, broccoli, eggs, noodles and sugar, then the sauce. When ready to cook, put 1 cup of hot tap water near the stove, and drain and discard any liquid in the bowl with the meat (or tofu).
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 14-inch wok or a heavy 12-inch skillet or a large Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. (If using a smaller pan, cook in 2 batches.) Add the meat to the hot pan in a single layer. Let cook, undisturbed, until well browned, about 1 minute, then stir-fry until just cooked through, about 1 minute more, pressing it against the pan to sear. Remove from the pan and set aside (skip this part if using tofu).
Wipe out the pan and heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium until shimmering. Stir in the garlic, then immediately add the greens and stir-fry just until bright and beginning to wilt, 30 to 45 seconds.
Push greens to one side of the pan, add just enough oil to lightly coat the other side and add the eggs. Use the spatula to scramble the eggs, stirring and scraping until cooked through and just dry, about 1 minute.
Raise the heat to high. Add the noodles, spreading them around the pan, then tossing and separating them with a wok turner, tongs or both. When noodles are sizzling, add the sugar and 3 tablespoons sauce, and toss to coat and cook through. Keep cooking, leaving noodles undisturbed for 20 to 30 seconds at a time, so they sear and caramelize.
Add the meat (or tofu) back to the pan, along with any liquids in the dish, and toss everything together.
Add a few dashes of black soy sauce, and taste for doneness and seasoning. Keep cooking, adding more sugar, black soy sauce or pad see ew sauce a little at a time, until the dish is very savory and a little sweet. Add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if noodles are not quite soft.
When the noodles have absorbed all the liquid and the flavors are balanced, serve immediately.