Shrimp Pad Thai

My vote for most underappreciated vegetable goes to the humble cabbage. It’s easy to grow, cheap and plentiful in the grocery stores, and doesn’t turn soggy right away in the fridge like, say, that $4 carton of organic lettuce mix. It’s also very versatile; cabbage is right at home in most cuisines, from Asian to Irish, Mexican to Ukrainian. It’s one vegetable that very literally feeds the masses. We should be putting it on a veggie pedestal. Gold stars and accolades for cabbage!

Ok, it helps that I happen to love cabbage. Even pickled cabbage, aka sauerkraut or kimchi. Bok choy and Napa cabbage, YES and YES please! Brussel sprouts…well, I’m still working on overcoming some childhood trauma on that one. My therapist says I’m making progress. Still, I totally understand why the French use “mon petit chou” (my little cabbage) as a term of endearment.

However, even now in the midst of cabbage season with a recession to boot, I feel like le petit chou still gets ignored, its true potential shrouded in mayo. I’m willing to bet that a majority of US cabbage consumption comes from those pre-shredded bags of coleslaw. I buy them too, but now that I think about it, $1.69 (or even 97 cents on sale) is quite a racket for a bag of shredded cabbage when you can buy a whole head for well under a dollar.

I’m not cheap. I just don’t like being ripped off. Plus, whole head cabbage still has a place in the kitchen.

On New Year’s Day, we had a couple dear friends over for pad thai. Isn’t there some rule that you have to eat Asian food on New Year’s Day? Maybe I just made that up. I like that rule, though. I bought some bean sprouts, but apparently Bismarck doesn’t have a high rotation of sprout inventory, because the ones I purchased for the dish tasted…off. I tossed them in the compost and subbed in chopped cabbage instead. Turned out great!

I don’t have a picture of the dish, as it was nearly all consumed at dinner (and basically finished off by my wandering fork before bedtime), but as our friend half-jokingly said, “I hope this makes the blog!” Stefani, consider it done.

And for the record, Ben was checking out the button...

Shrimp Pad Thai
What would I do without Epicurious? The flavors are always top-notch, I haven’t hit a bad recipe yet, and the reviews of each recipe are so helpful. Don’t skip the garnishes – they’re what make this dish so good. Tamarind is a bugger to find in Bismarck - I could only find tamarind juice at Central Market, but it still imparted the sweet/tangy flavor. I don’t own a wok, so this recipe is adapted to a large pot. If you have a wok (or prefer a vegetarian pad thai), check out the original recipe.

12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4 inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho - can't find 'em? Substitute with fettucini noodles.)
3/4 cup tamarind juice (sold in the Asian section of the supermarket in individual soda cans)
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce)
1 bunch scallions (aka green onions)
1 small onion
16 oz. cooked and peeled shrimp, tails removed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 large eggs
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Lime wedges

Chopped cilantro

Prepare noodles according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, make sauce by mixing tamarind juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Cut scallions into 2-inch pieces. Halve pale green and white parts lengthwise.

Cut onion into very thin slices.

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat until hot, then fry half of the thin onion slices over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 8 minutes. Remove crispy onion with slotted spoon and spread fried shallots on paper towels (pieces will crisp as they cool). Carefully pour oil into a heatproof bowl, reserving the oil. Wipe pot clean.

Lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat 2 tablespoons onion oil in pot over high heat until it shimmers. Add eggs and cook through. Break into chunks with spatula and transfer to a plate. Wipe pot clean.

Heat rest of onion oil in pot over medium-high heat. Stir-fry scallions, garlic, and remaining uncooked onion until softened, about 1 minute. Add noodles, shrimp, cabbage, and reserved sauce, stir-frying over medium heat (use 2 spatulas if necessary) until sauce is distributed and cabbage is crunchy-tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir in eggs and transfer to a large shallow serving dish. Sprinkle pad Thai with peanuts, fried onions, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and Sriracha.