How To Reheat Leftover Pad Thai To Perfection In A Microwave

If leftover pad thai isn't something you have ever had to deal with, it's easy to understand why. The rice noodle dish, which is a national dish of Thailand, is delicious, with flavors ranging from spicy and sweet to savory and salty. It's almost inconceivable to imagine how anybody would have leftovers instead of inhaling the entire dish and hoping for seconds. 

Just in case, it is important to know how to reheat it in the microwave, and that's with your friend and mine, the damp paper towel. Pad thai is rife with ingredients that easily get overcooked and dried out in the microwave or even on the high heat of a stove. Rice noodles get gluey and coagulated, shrimp and pork get dry, and even fresh scallions wilt and wither. Reheating this dish carefully is of utmost importance because it's very easy to waste an entire dish with an improper heating method.

Putting a damp paper towel (or something to create and keep in the steam) on leftovers is not unique to pad thai. The same technique is used with everything from brisket to pork tenderloin. The idea is that as the microwave heats up, the water from the paper towel turns to steam. The steam in turn heats the noodles and fillings gently, rehydrating them as it gradually warms. The addition of water (just a splash) can also help here because rice noodles can absorb and benefit from quite a bit of moisture as they reheat. Of note: if there is shrimp, you can remove them and heat them separately. This is to ensure the noodles cook evenly and also that the shrimp does not get tough and overcooked. Heat the noodles at intervals, as you would any food you want to gently reheat so it does not overcook and become dry. At each interval, stir and check for hot spots. As soon as it's warm, remove the noodles, add your warmed shrimp if necessary, and then comes the fun part: eating your pad thai.

Pad thai is incredible as is and requires little added to it. It is packed with flavor and is not what anybody would consider a blank canvas. However, considering it is a leftovers situation and the rules are a bit looser because of that, here is your chance to go wild. A sunny-side-up egg adds moisture, richness, and protein to the dish. If you have leftover grated carrots, scallions, or any other number of vegetables in the fridge, they would be very much at home here. Pad thai is the perfect spot for all protein. Tofu, chicken, pork, beef, and shrimp are all especially delicious here. They can either be cooked quickly on the stove or taken already cooked, cut, or prepared into small pieces, then folded into the saucy noodles. It's all up to the diner when it comes to perfectly heated leftover pad thai.