Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (72 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For pad thai with tender but not sticky noodles, we soaked rice sticks in hot tap water for 20 minutes before stir-frying them just briefly. To create the salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavor profile of pad thai, we combined a few easily found ingredients: fish sauce, sugar, cayenne pepper, and vinegar. Tamarind paste, which we soaked then ran through a strainer to make a smooth puree, lent the fresh, bright, fruity taste that is essential to the dish.
SERVES 4
Although pad thai cooks very quickly, the ingredient list is long, and everything must be prepared and within easy reach at the stovetop when you begin cooking. For maximum efficiency, use the time during which the tamarind and noodles soak to prepare the other ingredients. If tamarind paste is unavailable, substitute ¹⁄
3
cup lime juice and ¹⁄
3
cup water and use light brown sugar instead of granulated. To accurately measure boiling water, bring the water to a boil, then measure it. Look for rice stick noodles that are about the width of linguine. Tofu is a good and common addition to pad thai; if you like, add 4 ounces of extra-firm tofu or pressed tofu (available in Asian markets), cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch cubes, to the noodles along with the bean sprouts.
2 | tablespoons tamarind paste |
³⁄ | cup boiling water |
3 | tablespoons fish sauce |
3 | tablespoons sugar |
1 | tablespoon rice vinegar |
³⁄ | teaspoon cayenne pepper |
¹⁄ | cup vegetable oil |
8 | ounces dried rice stick noodles, about ¹⁄ |
2 | large eggs |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
12 | ounces medium shrimp (41 to 50 per pound), peeled and deveined |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | shallot, minced |
2 | tablespoons dried shrimp, chopped fine (optional) |
2 | tablespoons Thai salted preserved radish (optional) |
6 | tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped |
6 | ounces bean sprouts (3 cups) |
5 | scallions, green parts only, sliced thin on bias |
¹⁄ | cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional) |
Lime wedges |
1.
Soak tamarind paste in boiling water for about 10 minutes, then push it through mesh strainer to remove seeds and fibers and extract as much pulp as possible. Stir fish sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons oil into tamarind liquid and set aside.
2.
Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 10 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside. Beat eggs and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon salt in small bowl; set aside.
3.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add shrimp, sprinkle with remaining ¹⁄
8
teaspoon salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and browned around the edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate and set aside.
4.
Off heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and shallot, return to medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Add eggs and stir vigorously until scrambled and barely moist, about 20 seconds.
5.
Add noodles, along with dried shrimp and salted radish, if using, to skillet and toss to combine. Pour fish sauce mixture over noodles, increase heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are evenly coated.
6.
Scatter ¹⁄
4
cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but ¹⁄
4
cup scallions, and cooked shrimp over noodles. Continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender, about 2¹⁄
2
minutes (if not yet tender, add 2 tablespoons water to skillet and continue to cook until tender). Transfer noodles to serving platter, sprinkle with remaining scallions, remaining 2 tablespoons peanuts, and cilantro. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For lo mein with chewy noodles tossed in a salty-sweet sauce and accented with bits of smoky pork and still-crisp cabbage, we seared strips of meat from naturally tender country-style pork ribs over high heat. Adding liquid smoke lent a flavor reminiscent of Chinese barbecued pork, or
char siu
, which is traditional in this dish. We used our meat marinade as a sauce base, along with a little chicken broth and a teaspoon of cornstarch for added body. In the absence of lo mein noodles from an Asian market, we found that dried linguine worked well. A little Asian chili-garlic sauce added at the end lent a nice finishing kick.
SERVES 4
Use a cast-iron skillet for this recipe if you have one, as it will help create the best sear on the pork. Look for Chinese rice wine that is amber in color; if not available, sherry wine may be used as a substitute. If boneless pork ribs are unavailable, substitute 1¹⁄
2
pounds of bone-in country-style ribs, followed by the next best option, pork tenderloin. It is important that the noodles are cooked at the last minute to avoid clumping.
3 | tablespoons soy sauce |
2 | tablespoons oyster sauce |
2 | tablespoons hoisin sauce |
1 | tablespoon toasted sesame oil |
¹⁄ | teaspoon five-spice powder |
¹⁄ | teaspoon liquid smoke (optional) |
1 | pound boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed and sliced crosswise into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | teaspoon cornstarch |
2 | garlic cloves, minced |
2 | teaspoons grated fresh ginger |
4¹⁄ | teaspoons vegetable oil |
¹⁄ | cup Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry |
8 | ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¹⁄ |
2 | bunches scallions, whites thinly sliced and greens cut into 1-inch pieces |
1 | small head napa or Chinese cabbage (1 pound), halved, cored, and sliced crosswise into ¹⁄ |
12 | ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles or 8 ounces dried linguine |
1 | tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce |
1.
Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and five-spice powder together in medium bowl. Place 3 tablespoons soy sauce mixture and liquid smoke, if using, in large zipper-lock bag. Add pork, press out as much air as possible, and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk broth and cornstarch into remaining soy sauce mixture in medium bowl and set aside. In small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon vegetable oil and set aside.
2.
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven or large pot
over high heat. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork in single layer, break up any clumps, and cook, without stirring, 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons wine to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is reduced and pork is well coated, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer pork to medium bowl and repeat with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, remaining pork, and remaining 2 tablespoons wine. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
3.
Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add scallions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are wilted, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to bowl with pork.
4.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and cabbage to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into cabbage.
5.
Return pork and vegetables to skillet. Add broth mixture and simmer until thickened and ingredients are well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
6.
Stir noodles into boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, 3 to 4 minutes for fresh Chinese noodles or 10 minutes for dried linguine. Drain noodles and return to Dutch oven. Add cooked stir-fry mixture and chili-garlic sauce to pot with noodles and toss until sauce coats noodles. Serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Noodles and greens are a common pairing in Asia, so we set out to develop a few recipes with character.
By cooking the noodles and greens together, we saved time as well as the trouble of washing another pot. Because fresh noodles cook so quickly, we made sure to add the greens to the pot before the noodles. For our first recipe, we started with meaty shiitake mushrooms and opted for a complementary sweet-savory sauce of sesame oil, chicken broth, mirin, and soy sauce. Chili-garlic sauce, ginger, and garlic gave it the right punch. For our second recipe, a combination of cinnamon, anise, cloves, and ginger infused the sauce with warmth, while Asian chili-garlic sauce added the heat we were after. Simmering slices of beef in this sauce infused both meat and sauce with flavor and kept things moving since the sauce reduced as the meat cooked through.
SERVES 4
Shiitake mushrooms contain a tough stem that should be removed—if you use white mushrooms, the stem does not need to be removed. Fresh Japanese udon noodles can be found in the produce section of large supermarkets. If they are not available, you can substitute dried or frozen udon or dried fettuccine in step 2, add the dried or frozen noodles to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes, then add the greens and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the noodles are al dente and the greens are wilted. You can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make this a vegetarian recipe.
SAUCE
1¹⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
8 | ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, trimmed, and sliced thin or a combination of white and shiitake mushrooms |
¹⁄ | cup rice vinegar |
¹⁄ | cup mirin |
2 | tablespoons soy sauce |
2 | garlic cloves, crushed with side of chef’s knife |
1 | (1-inch) piece ginger, halved and smashed with side of chef’s knife |
1 | teaspoon toasted sesame oil |
¹⁄ | teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce |
Salt and pepper |
GREENS AND NOODLES
1¹⁄ | pounds mustard greens, stemmed and leaves chopped into 2-inch pieces |
Salt and pepper | |
14 | ounces fresh udon noodles |
1. FOR THE SAUCE:
Combine all ingredients in large saucepan or skillet and simmer until liquid thickens and reduces by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, remove garlic and ginger, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
2. FOR THE GREENS AND NOODLES:
While sauce simmers, bring 5 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add greens and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until greens are almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add noodles and cook until greens and noodles are tender, about 2 minutes longer. Reserve ¹⁄
3
cup cooking water, drain noodles and greens, and return to pot. Add sauce and reserved cooking water and cook over medium-low heat, stirring to meld flavors, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.