PAD KEE MAO
Recipe by Tom Woodcock
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
♦ 12 ounces rice noodles (brown or white)
♦ 2 tbsp oyster sauce
♦ 2 tbsp soy sauce
♦ 1 tbsp fish sauce
♦ 1 tbsp Thai roasted chili paste
♦ 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
♦ 1 tsp sugar
♦ 1 tsp corn flour
♦ 2 tbsp vegetable oil
♦ 2 to 3 jalapeño peppers, diced
♦ 5 cloves garlic, minced
♦ 1 beefsteak tomato, diced
♦ 1 ½ pounds of chicken thighs, cubed
♦ 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
♦ 1 red bell pepper, diced
♦ ½ block of extra-firm tofu, cubed
♦ kale or collards, shredded
♦ 2 large handfuls of basil leaves, shredded

Directions: 
Whisk together the first seven ingredients (oyster sauce to corn flour) in a small glass, and set aside.

Heat oil a large pot; add the garlic and jalapeño, and fry until fragrant. Add the tomato, and cook until the liquid reduce and the mixture is thick (for 3 to 4 minutes, roughly). Add the chicken, and cook on high heat for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the rice noodles. Strain once al dente, and set aside.

Re-whisk together the sauce briefly, and add to the pan with the chicken and the sauce. Once the sauce is boiling (continuously stirring until then), reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking util the chicken has released all of its juices, and those juices have reduced into the sauce.

Add the bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, and tofu; cook for 3 minutes (or until the vegetables are wilted. Add the kale and cook until just wilted (another minute). Turn off the heat and stir in the shredded basil.

Read more about this dish and my musical pairing by clicking HERE.