Food Network star Jet Tila brings Asian flavors to Houston

Watch the full video at Houston Life

HOUSTON – Culinary star, cookbook author, and restaurant developer Jet Tila is one of the most popular celebrity chefs on the Food Network.

He’s also the executive chef at Pei Wei, one of the largest Chinese fast-casual restaurant chains in the US.

He’s in Houston before Pei Wei opens a Houston Northwest Plaza location in the next few weeks and stopped by Houston Life for a chat about his life and career.

He also shared his famous Pad Thai recipes with us, both the vegan and the classic versions of this dish, available now at Pei Wei.

Vegan Pad Thai:

• 3 cups (720 g) Pad Thai noodles (dry chantaboon rice stick)
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) vegetarian fish sauce or Thai Soybean Sauce
• 1 Tbsp (15 g) tamarind paste
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh Lime juice
• 2 tsp (10 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
• ¼ cup (50 g) palm sugar, brown sugar, or white sugar
• 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) water
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) high-temperature cooking oil
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1⁄2 cup (95 g) diced savory baked tofu
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp (23 g) packaged minced sweet pickled turnip
• 2 Tbsp (16 g) paprika (optional)
• 3–4 (75 g) scallions, cut into 2″ (5-cm) pieces on the bias
• 1⁄4 cup (50 g) chopped dry-roasted peanuts, divided
• 1 cup (40 g) bean sprouts

1. Soak the dry noodles in a large bowl of warm (90°F [32°C]) water for about an hour. The noodles will start to absorb water, loosen up and be ready for the pan. After they’ve soaked, drain and set aside. If using fresh noodles, you can just open the package and add to the pan at the appropriate time.

2. To make the sauce, combine the Thai Soybean sauce, tamarind paste, unseasoned rice vinegar, palm sugar and water in a small bowl. Stir well until the sugar dissolves.

3. Heat a skillet or wok over high heat for about 1 minute until the pan gets pretty hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan completely. When the pan just starts to smoke, add the garlic and stir for about 5 seconds. Add the tofu and pickled turnip and stir-fry until they begin to get fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add the drained noodles and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Add the sauce mixture and paprika and fold everything together until the paprika evenly colors the noodles and all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

5. Place the scallions in the center of the noodles, and then spoon some noodles over the scallions to cover and let them steam for 30 seconds. Stir in 3 tablespoons (30 g) of peanuts. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the bean sprouts and remaining peanuts.

Classic Pad Thai:

Noodles

• 3-4 cups (720-950 g) soaked dry medium rice stick noodles, or fresh

Pad Thai Sauce

• 4 Tbsp (60 ml) Fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) bottled tamarind paste
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
• 4 Tbsp (60 g) sugar

Pad Thai

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) high-temperature cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp (25 g) packaged shredded sweetened radish
• 1 tsp dried shrimp
• 1/2 cup (95 g) savory baked tofu, cut into slices
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 g) thin strips of chicken breast or thigh
• 10 large medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp (XX g) paprika, for color
• 3 scallions, cut into 3″ (8-cm) julienne
• 1/4 cup (50 g) chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, divided
• 1 cup (240 g) bean sprouts

1. If you’re using dry noodles, soak them in a large bowl of warm water for about an hour. The water should be about 90F. The noodles will start to absorb water and loosen up. Drain them well (reserve this soaking water to adjust the texture later) and set aside. If you’re using fresh noodles, you can just open the package and add them to the pan at the appropriate time.

2. To make the sauce, combine the fish sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Make sure to stir well until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat for about 1 minute, until hot. Add the oil and swirl it to coat the pan completely. When you see wisps of white smoke, add the garlic and stir-fry for about 5 seconds. Add the radish, dried shrimp and tofu and stir-fry until they begin to get fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Push the ingredients in the wok to one side and let the oil settle in the center of the pan. Crack eggs into the pan and add the chicken. As the eggs start to fry, just pierce the yolks to let them ooze. Fold the chicken and eggs over, scrape any bits that are starting to stick and cook for about 30 seconds or until the eggs begin to set. Now stir everything together to combine it all in the pan.

5. Add the shrimp and cook for about 30 seconds until they just start to turn color and opaque. Add the soaked (and drained) rice noodles and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they become soft. Add the reserved sauce mixture and the paprika and fold together until the paprika evenly colors the noodles and all of the liquid is absorbed for about 2 minutes.

6. Place the scallions in the center of the noodles, and then spoon some of the noodles over the scallions to cover and let steam for 30 seconds. Stir in 3 tablespoons (38 g) of the peanuts. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the bean sprouts and remaining peanuts.

Recipe provided by Jet Tila.