Pad thai is actually easy to make at home: Chef Hong Thaimee's authentic recipe

NEW YORK — Pad thai is one of my favorite meals.

I haven't met a version of the dish that I haven't enjoyed. I love it with shrimp, chicken and vegetables. Yet I've never tried to make it because I've felt a little intimidated.

Recently, I had the opportunity to learn from chef Hong Thaimee who owns New York City restaurant Thaimee Love and competed on Food Network's Iron Chef in 2013. Thaimee serves a classic pad thai which is available at her restaurant by request (on a "secret menu," she says) for between $20 and $26 depending on your protein choice.

And, it turns out, my fears were unfounded. The dish is not as hard to make as I imagined, and much tastier knowing I can do it on my own.

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Thaimee, who is originally from Chiang Mai, Thailand, explained pad thai's origins date back to just before World War II, when a rice shortage was ongoing. It was also part of a nationalistic effort by the country's prime minister at the time to create a noodle dish the would symbolize Thailand's independence, according to Atlas Obscura.

"It is named the National Dish of Thailand and has quite a history," Thaimee says, noting it's one of the most popular Thai dishes. She cooks the dish in a very traditional way, she says, using pickled turnip, fish sauce, coconut sugar and tamarind puree to create a dish that encompasses salty, sweet and sour.

"It's easy, with a technique," she says. "What you need is a good balance of flavors, so make sure the sauce is well balanced to begin with. And in order to get all the flavor to come across, what you need is a high heat."

Thaimee walked me through the process, which starts with submerging rice noodles in water them before cooking. Then we put together a sauce — which is meant to be sweet, sour and a little salty.

Alongside Thaimee, I learned how to combine the ingredients and the order in which to do so. I also learned that while heat is a very important element to the dish but you don't need a wok. For an at-home chef, a cast-iron skillet is a good option.

For the most part, the process was easy, although a giant ball of fire did force me to take a step back when I put wet shrimp into a hot oiled pan. Thaimee laughed and reminded me it's best to just embrace a little bit of surprise while cooking.

The most valuable piece of advice she shared? To cook with love.

"Because love is the sweetest ingredient," she says.

I'm ready to try to make pad Thai at home, now, and you can, too. Thaimee shared her recipe with USA TODAY.

Chef Hong Thaimee's Pad Thai

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces rice stick noodles

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, about 1 tablespoon

• 2 small shallots, finely chopped, about 1 tablespoon

• 1 tablespoon pickled turnip (store-bought, in a jar)

• 4 jumbo (6-8 count/pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined (or protein of your choice)

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup bean sprouts

• 1/4 cup chives, cut into 1/2 inch lengths

• 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts

• 1/4 cup cubed firm tofu

• Lime wedges and dried red chili pepper, for garnish

Sauce ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tamarind concentrate

• 1/2 cup palm sugar (or coconut sugar)

• 1/2 cup fish sauce

Instructions:

1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Hydrate rice stick noodles in a shallow dish of room temperature water until just al dente. This can take as long as 45 minutes, depending on the noodles, but don’t use hot or warm water — this will turn the noodles mushy. Keep hydrated noodles in water till ready to use.

3. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and pickled turnip and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute (do not brown).

4. Add the shrimp or protein of your choice and lightly cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes, until just pink (or 3 minutes for thinly sliced chicken, beef or pork). Remove cooked protein to a bowl and set aside.

5. Increase heat to high and crack the egg over the garlic and shallots. Break the yolk and stir gently, but do not scramble. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

6. Once the egg is fully cooked, add the noodles and 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved sauce. Stir until the noodles have softened and are coated with the sauce and egg mixture, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked shrimp or your chosen protein and tofu. Mix well. Stir in the chives, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Remove from heat.

If you're still a little nervous to start, Thaimee sells rice noodles and pre-made sauce on her website.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Love pad thai? Make it at home with this easy, 6-step recipe