Watch Gina Make It (and George Taste-Test It)

Meet the Ingredients (The Usual Suspects, Sugar)

Gear you’ll want

One big skillet or wok (12 inches or more, so the noodles have room to toss), a pair of tongs, a big bowl for soaking noodles and a small bowl for the sauce. Tongs matter here: noodles and a hot pan are no place for bare hands, and George can tell you why.

Let’s Cook, Sugar: Step by Step

1. 1. Soak the noodles. Cover 8 ounces of flat rice noodles with warm tap water (not boiling) and let them sit 25 to 30 minutes, until they bend easily but still feel a little firm in the middle. Drain. They’ll finish cooking in the pan.
2. 2. Stir up the sauce. Whisk 3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning until the sugar dissolves. Taste it. It should be sweet, sour and salty all at once.
3. 3. Season the shrimp. Toss 1 pound of peeled shrimp with the other teaspoon of Cajun seasoning.
4. 4. Brown the andouille. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in your big skillet over medium-high. Add the 8 ounces of sliced andouille and brown it 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Scoop it onto a plate and leave those drippings right where they are.
5. 5. Sear the shrimp. Lay the shrimp in the hot drippings and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until pink. Overcooked shrimp turn rubbery, so pull them the second they curl into a C. Onto the plate they go.
6. 6. Noodles meet sauce. Add another tablespoon of oil, the sliced shallot and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Stir 30 seconds. Add the drained noodles and pour in the sauce, then toss with tongs for 2 to 3 minutes until the noodles drink up the sauce and turn soft and glossy. If they stick, add a splash of water.
7. 7. Scramble the eggs. Push the noodles to one side. Add the last tablespoon of oil, crack in 2 eggs and scramble until just set, then toss them through the noodles.
8. 8. Bring it home. Return the shrimp and andouille, add 2 cups bean sprouts and the green onion pieces, and toss for 1 more minute so the sprouts stay crunchy.
9. 9. Dress it up. Pile it into bowls and top with chopped peanuts, sliced green onion, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of Cajun seasoning. Now we taste-test.

Gina’s Kitchen Truths (What Goes Wrong and How to Fix It)

Gina’s Louisiana Twist

This whole dish is my twist, so nobody in Bangkok write me letters. Traditional Pad Thai uses chicken, shrimp or tofu, plus a few things like dried shrimp and pickled radish that are worth hunting down if you want the real deal.

Want to take it further down the bayou? Swap the shrimp for a pound of crawfish tails, added in step 8 just to warm through so they stay tender. And set a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce on the table. George asked me to “be honest” about how good it was, then ate his bowl and half of mine while I was still talking.

The Printable Recipe

Gina's Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Pad Thai

Thailand's favorite street noodle with a Louisiana attitude: Gulf shrimp, smoky andouille, tamarind and a shake of Cajun seasoning.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz flat rice noodles (Pad Thai style, about 1/4 inch wide)
• 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate or 3 tbsp lime juice plus 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp fish sauce use 2 if your Cajun seasoning has salt
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar or palm sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tsp salt-free Cajun seasoning, divided plus a pinch to finish
• 1 lb large Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 oz andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced or 1/2 small onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces plus more sliced for garnish
• 1/3 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

 

1. Soak the rice noodles in warm (not boiling) water for 25 to 30 minutes, until they bend easily but still feel firm in the center. Drain.
2. Whisk the tamarind, fish sauce, brown sugar, water and 1 tsp of the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
3. Toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tsp Cajun seasoning.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Brown the andouille 3 to 4 minutes, then move it to a plate, leaving the drippings.
5. Sear the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until pink, and add them to the plate with the andouille.
6. Add 1 tbsp oil, the shallot and garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add the drained noodles and the sauce and toss with tongs 2 to 3 minutes, until the noodles soak up the sauce and turn tender. Splash in a little water if they stick.
7. Push the noodles to one side, add the last 1 tbsp oil, crack in the eggs and scramble until just set, then toss them through the noodles.
8. Return the shrimp and andouille, add the bean sprouts and green onion pieces, and toss 1 minute more.
9. Serve topped with peanuts, sliced green onion, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of Cajun seasoning.