Pepper's “Bow-Thai” See Ew

SERVES: 4 PREP: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes (including marinating)

Pepper's “Bow-Thai” See Ew

SERVES: 4 PREP: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes (including marinating)

A delicious twist on pad see ew using bow-tie pasta!

Hi! It’s Pepper here with a recipe from my new book, The Pepper Thai Cookbook, which is available in the Cravings shop now. This twist on pad see ew uses dried bow-tie pasta for those who have trouble sourcing Thai wide rice noodles. I hope you love it!

One question people ask me all the time on Instagram is how to make pad see ew. It’s a good question! Whenever we order takeout from one of the many excellent Thai restaurants in LA, we almost always order pad see ew, the good kind where the sweet soy has caramelized just right and soaked into the chewy pan-fried noodles. But a common problem is that in many places I’ve lived, it’s not easy to find the Thai wide rice noodles. What to do then? The solution came to me one day when I was thinking about spaghetti. Dried spaghetti noodles are very popular in Thailand these days, and people use them in all kinds of traditional stir-fry dishes. So why not other kinds of pasta? After a few experiments, I discovered that super-market bow-tie pasta made a good substitute for pad see ew noodles. The bow-tie shape helps them soak up the sweet dark soy sauce (try my homemade recipe if you can't find it at the Asian market!) in their little folds and wrinkles, and when cooked al dente they end up perfectly chewy- tender after being cooked in the very hot wok. Even if this “pad see ew” is not exactly the same as takeout, I am proud of my noodle innovation. Feel free to enter my name for the Nobel Prize this year, thank you.

Reprinted from The Pepper Thai Cookbook. Copyright © 2021 by Vilailuck Teigen with Garrett Snyder. Photographs copyright © 2021 by Jenny Huang. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.

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INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

For the "Bow-Thai" See Ew:

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or pork shoulder, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
12 ounces bow-tie pasta
¼ cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ pound Chinese broccoli or regular broccoli, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
¹⁄3 cup Thai sweet dark soy sauce (store-bought or homemade)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
½ cup fresh basil leaves
+ Pickled Chile Vinegar and Roasted Chile Powder (recipes follow), for serving

For the Pickled Chile Vinegar:

1 jalapeño pepper
1 cup distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

For the Roasted Chile Powder:

2 cups dried red chiles, such as Thai, de árbol, or japones

Make the Pickled Chile Vinegar (optional, for serving):

Halve the jalapeño lengthwise and remove the seeds, then thinly slice crosswise. Combine the vinegar and jalapeño in a glass jar or other airtight container. For the best flavor, refrigerate overnight before using. The vinegar keeps in the fridge for 2 months.

Make the Roasted Chile Powder (optional, for serving):

Preheat the oven to 350°F. If you have an oven hood fan, turn it on.
Spread the chiles evenly across a sheet pan and roast for about 6 minutes, checking them halfway through. The chiles are done when they change color from red to a very dark reddish brown. Watch closely near the end to make sure they don’t burn.
Transfer chiles to a plate and let cool completely. Place them in a mortar and grind with the pestle until they’re the size of red pepper flakes (or use a spice grinder or small blender on high speed for 10–15 seconds; make sure the blender is totally dry). Store the chile powder in an airtight container; it keeps for about 3 months or longer if kept in the freezer.

Make the "Bow-Thai" See Ew:

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, white pepper, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge).
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta a few minutes less than package directions for al dente, then drain well.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering hot.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Stir in the chicken and broccoli and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes, until the meat is lightly browned and the broccoli is almost tender.
Stir in the eggs and cook until the eggs are dry and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the pasta, sweet soy sauce, and light soy sauce. Cook, tossing often, until the pasta is warmed through and coated evenly in sauce, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil and turn off the heat.
Serve immediately with the pickled chile vinegar and chile powder on the side.