When he’s not presenting BBC’s Masterchef, John Torode can often be found travelling the globe in search of exciting and tantalising flavours – and in his book Sydney to Seoul, he’s shines a spotlight on recipes from his travels in Australia and the Far East including one of his favourites, phat thai (pronounced pad thai).
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients:• 600g thick flat rice noodles• Bunch of fresh coriander with roots• 20 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped• 100ml/4fl oz vegetable oil• 20 medium fresh raw prawns, peeled and deveined• 150g pickled turnip (from Asian stores), drained and chopped• 2 tbsp caster sugar• 50ml concentrated cooking tamarind• 4 eggs, beaten• 2 tbsp oyster sauce• 50ml fish sauce• 100g beansprouts• Juice of 1 lime• Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and cut at an angle• 100g roasted peanuts, crushed• 3 fresh red chillies, deseeded and sliced
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Method:1. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 20 minutes, then drain and keep to one side.2. Pick the leaves from the coriander and reserve. Soak and wash the coriander roots, then pound the roots and garlic together in a pestle and mortar (use the coriander stems if you have no roots, otherwise discard them).3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or deep frying pan over a high heat. When it’s shimmering, add the pounded garlic and coriander roots. Stir for a few moments, then add the prawns and half the pickled turnip. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the sugar and tamarind. Add the noodles and toss, then add the eggs and stir- fry for a further 2 minutes.4. Add the oyster sauce and fish sauce and toss to mix, then stir-fry for 4-5 minutes. Add half the beansprouts, the lime juice, half the spring onions and half the peanuts.5. Pile the noodles into a large serving dish and garnish with the remaining turnip, beansprouts, spring onions and peanuts plus the coriander leaves and chillies.