Wild Mushroom Pad Thai with Shaoxing-Soy Chicken & Shrimp

Cosmically speaking, a dish invented in the 1930s is not "classic". Because of that, you can be a bit more modern with your process. I wanted to pay homage to Pad Thai's Chinese roots while applying Thai ingredients, as opposed to using more traditional Thai methods.

Inspiration: Food & Wine

Ingredients

Pad Thai:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 lb shrimp

1/2 cup Shaoxing cooking wine (substitute: dry sherry)

1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari

1/2 lb dried pad Thai rice noodles

1/4 cup nam pla (Thai fish sauce)

2 tbsp palm sugar

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp Sambal Olek

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 small shallots, thinly sliced

8 ounces mixed wild mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup julienned carrots (from about 1/3 lb carrots)

4 scallions, cut into 1-in pieces, plus finely chopped scallions, for garnish

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup bean sprouts

Limes, for serving

Preparation

1. Place chicken and shrimp in a large plastic bag. Pour Shaoxing and soy sauce into bag and agitate to stir. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

2. Put the noodles in a large bowl and cover with very hot water. Let soak until just pliable, about 15 minutes (or according to package directions). Drain the noodles in a colander, shaking off any excess water.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce with the palm sugar, tamarind paste, and Sambal.

4. In a large nonstick wok or skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the noodles and the 4 scallions and stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes.

5. Scrape the noodles to one side of the pan and add the eggs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly set, about 1 minute. Toss everything together. Add the sauce and stir-fry until the noodles are evenly coated and the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in bean sprouts. Cover until time to serve.

6. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and add chicken & shrimp to pan. Occasionally base in excess marinade as it burns off on the pan. Cook through, then remove from heat. Slice chicken and add to pad That noodles with shrimp. Garnish with additional scallions and serve.