Family Friend by Lukas Volger

Family Friend by Lukas Volger

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Family Friend by Lukas Volger
Family Friend by Lukas Volger
A Springy Spin on Pad Thai

A Springy Spin on Pad Thai

Bright, fresh, light, and slippery — we'll take what we can get

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Lukas Volger
Apr 05, 2025
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Family Friend by Lukas Volger
Family Friend by Lukas Volger
A Springy Spin on Pad Thai
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I hadn’t made Pad Thai in many years, but the craving hit out of nowhere — maybe with a balmy breeze that came through this week? Or more likely the threat of my global pantry suddenly becoming exponentially more expensive — and left little choice but to grab the wok right away.

The last time, I remember struggling with how to cook the noodles. Soaking alone didn’t get them properly tender, and boiling them achieved a gluey mass. I’ve since learned that the best way is first to soak, which essentially par-cooks them, and then to finish cooking them in the pan, adding more water as they absorb the sauce.

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I’d also believed that Pad Thai was primarily about these noodles, but now I feel that the mung bean sprouts have been getting short shrift. You can really load them in, almost one-to-one volume wise, to the noodles. They brilliantly keep the dish tasting and feeling fresh and light, with so much juicy contrast.

With the bright crunch of the sprouts, a more explicit nod to spring felt apt, so I added little coins of asparagus. They tangle into the noodles and pair so nicely with everything else — the shiitake strips, scallions, peanuts, sprouts, and tofu — scratching the Pad Thai itch, but happily making it its own thing, too.

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Springtime Pad Thai

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