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PA D T H A I

Did you know pad Thai was actually invented by the Thai government in the 1930s? Both delicious and easy to make, it was devised as a national dish to unite the Thai people. True story! It’s also true that pad Thai is surprisingly simple to cook.

2 15 MINUTES 10 MINUTES

★ 125g pad Thai dried rice-stick noodles

★ 3 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil

★ ½ brown onion, sliced 5mm wide

★ 150g chicken breast or thigh fillets, sliced into 7mm pieces

★ 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

★ 2 eggs, lightly whisked

★ 120g beansprouts

★ 75g firm tofu, cut into 3cm x 7mm batons

★ 12g chives, cut into 3cm lengths

★ 40g finely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

SAUCE

★ 1½ tbsp tamarind purée

★ 35g brown sugar

★ 2 tbsp fish sauce

★ 1½ tbsp oyster sauce

to SERVE

★ lime or lemon wedges (essential!)

★ chilli powder or cayenne pepper (optional)

★ handful extra beansprouts

★ Make the sauce – mix the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

★ Prepare the noodles as per the packet directions just before you start cooking. Don’t leave them sitting around as they become more fragile.

★ Cook the chicken – heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and garlic, then cook for 1½ minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through.

★ Scramble the eggs – push the ingredients to one side of the pan, then pour the eggs in on the other side. Scramble using a wooden spoon (add a touch of extra oil if the pan is too dry), then mix into the chicken.

★ For the noodles – add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the beansprouts, tofu and noodles, then pour the sauce over. Cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing gently every minute or so, until the sauce is absorbed by the noodles and the edges of the noodles start to caramelise. Add the chives, half the peanuts and toss through quickly. Remove from the heat.

★ Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining peanuts and lime wedges on the side. Add a sprinkle of chilli or cayenne pepper, if desired, and some extra beansprouts on the side (this is the Thai way!). Squeeze over lime juice to taste before eating.

VIETNAMESE BAKED CHICKEN

With a sweet, caramelly Vietnamese glaze, this chicken is so delicious it’s worthy of serving to guests. Just get the chicken marinating the night before then, the next day, pop it in the oven until the skin is bronzed and sticky. No stove splatter to deal with – yay!

4-6

10 MINUTES + 24 HOURS MARINATING

1 HOUR

★ 1.5kg bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 pieces)

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only

★ 4 garlic cloves, finely grated

★ 60ml fresh lime juice

★ 60ml fish sauce

★ 2 tbsp light soy sauce

★ 50g brown sugar

★ 2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil

★ Marinate the chicken – mix the marinade ingredients in a large zip-lock bag. Add the chicken, then seal the bag, pressing out the air. Massage to disperse the marinade over the chicken. Place the bag in a bowl (for leak protection) and refrigerate for 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking tray with foil, then baking paper (you’ll thank me later!).

★ Prepare for baking – remove the chicken from the marinade, brush off the lemongrass pieces, then spread out on the prepared tray. Discard the excess marinade.

★ Bake and baste – bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste the chicken by brushing the tray juices on to the skin. Bake for 10 minutes, baste again and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

★ Serve – transfer the chicken to a serving platter and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Baste the skin generously one last time to make it shiny and golden, being sure to use the stickier brown juices on the tray to add colour to the skin. Pour the remaining tray juices all over the chicken (scrape the tray clean!). Sprinkle with coriander and chilli (if using), then serve with rice, leafy greens and lime wedges on the side, if desired.

YOU FOOD

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2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://mailonline.pressreader.com/article/282046216331085

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