Place the rice stick noodles in a shallow tray and cover with room-temperature water. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes. (Check notes below for must-read info about your noodles!)

To make the pad Thai sauce, heat the lard in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When melted, add the shallots and dried shrimp. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the shallots have softened but not browned. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Place a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the pork lard and the prawns and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until almost cooked. Add the tofu and stir-fry for another 2 minutes until the tofu is golden. Move everything to the side of the wok or pan. Pour a scant teaspoon of the lard into the empty side of the wok. Then pour in the eggs. Let them settle and form a thin omelette, then flip and toss the egg through the rest of the ingredients.

Add in the pickled radish and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Next, add in half the garlic chives, the softened noodles and half the pad Thai sauce (keep the remainder in the fridge for up to 1 week and use for your next pad Thai dinner!). Add a splash of water (about 2 tablespoons) to the pan and use tongs or chopsticks to toss and stir-fry the noodles for 3-4 minutes or until they’re tender and cooked through. Toss through the other half of the chives and the beanshoots, give everything a few more flips, then divide among serving plates. Sprinkle over the peanuts and serve with the chilli powder, lime, extra chives and bean shoots.