Pad Thai Goong with Shrimp-Head Oil

Method

1. Soak the noodles in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, until bendy but still slightly firm in the centre, then drain. Peel the shrimp, keeping the heads and shells, and devein. Cut the tofu into 1 cm cubes, slice the shallot thinly and cut the chives into 4 cm lengths.

   Add in this stepFlat rice noodles (5 mm) 150 gLarge head-on shrimp (prawns) 8Firm tofu 60 gShallot (or a little red onion) 1Garlic chives 30 g

2. Put the tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce and water in a 14 cm saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for 3 min, stirring. When the sugar has dissolved and the sauce thinly coats the back of a spoon, turn off the heat.

   Add in this stepTamarind paste 2 tbspPalm sugar (or brown sugar) 2 tbspFish sauce 2 tbspWater 1½ tbsp

   medium-low heat

3. Put the oil and the shrimp heads and shells in a wok and fry over medium heat for 3 min, pressing the heads with a spatula to squeeze out their juices. When the oil is deep orange and smells of shrimp, scoop out and discard the heads and shells.

   Add in this stepCooking oil 3 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Cook one serving at a time, 2 batch(es) in total. Leave one portion of shrimp oil in the wok, heat over high heat, fry the tofu, dried shrimp, shallot and garlic, then add the shrimp and cook for 2 min until pink. Push everything to one side.

   Add in this stepSmall dried shrimp 2 tbspMinced garlic 1 tbsp

   high heat

5. Crack the egg into the empty space, let it half-set, then scramble. Add one portion of noodles and sauce and toss over high heat for 2 min, lifting with tongs, until the noodles have absorbed all the sauce. If they are stiff, add water 1 tbsp at a time.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   high heat

6. Take the wok off the heat (heat off) and toss in most of the bean sprouts and the chives for just 10 seconds so they stay crunchy. Plate and serve with the remaining sprouts, peanuts, chili flakes and lime.

   Add in this stepBean sprouts 100 gRoasted peanuts, roughly chopped 2 tbspRed pepper flakes ½ tspLime ½

   heat off