Pad see ew — 'fried soy sauce noodles' — is the Thai noodle dish most people eat but fewer people make at home. The wide, flat rice noodles require very high heat and a fat with a high smoke point to develop the char on the noodle surface that gives the dish its character. Lard is that fat.
The technique: the noodles go into smoking lard and are left completely undisturbed for 90 seconds. This creates char on the bottom surface of the noodle that the top surface then picks up when the noodle is flipped. Without the undisturbed searing time, the noodles steam rather than fry.
Pad See Ew Recipe
Ingredients
- 400g wide fresh rice noodles (or rehydrated dried wide rice noodles)
- 3 tbsp pasture-raised lard
- 3 large eggs
- 300g boneless chicken thigh or beef, sliced thin
- 200g Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or regular broccoli, stems and leaves separated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Sauce: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy) or oyster sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar
- White pepper to serve
Method
- Gently separate the noodles so they are not clumped. If using dried noodles, rehydrate in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, then oil lightly.
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat the lard in a wok over the absolute highest heat until smoking. Add the garlic and protein. Sear for 2 minutes without moving.
- Push everything to the sides. Crack the eggs into the centre. Scramble quickly until just set. Mix into the protein.
- Add the noodles. Press flat against the wok surface. Leave undisturbed for 90 seconds.
- Add the broccoli stems. Toss everything for 1 minute.
- Pour in the sauce mixture. Toss to coat. Add the broccoli leaves. Toss once more.
- Serve immediately with white pepper.
What are wide rice noodles?
Flat rice noodles about 1.5-2cm wide — sold fresh at Asian grocery stores or dried online. Do not use vermicelli for this dish.
Is pad see ew seed oil free?
Yes with lard. Most Thai restaurants use canola or soybean oil.
Can I use regular broccoli?
Yes — cut into small florets. It will produce a slightly different flavour from Chinese broccoli (gai lan) but works well.
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