Thai Eggs by Toby Kearse of The Mallard in Glasgow

There are many regional variations to this pungent traditional Thai breakfast, this one I learned from a colleague years ago and has remained a firm favourite with customers and staff alike ever since. There is a slight element of risk when frying the eggs, just stay calm and hold your nerve! SHAKA ZULU!!

Ingredients: Serves 2

200ml fragrant jasmine rice

4 lime leaves

4 fresh red chillis

small bunch of fresh coriander

a handful of crispy shallots

lashings of fish sauce

all the sriricha

about 750ml of veg oil for frying

4 good quality free range eggs

Method:

  1. First of all, soak the rice, refreshing the water a few times. Rinse under running water until no more cloudy starch runs out. Be gentle, the delicate grains break easily.
  2. Leave to drip dry for a few minutes, then place in a saucepan with the lime leaves, 210ml of cold water and a couple of dashes of fish sauce.
  3. Bring to the boil, stir once, cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat down low. It should take ten minutes before the rice has absorbed the liquid and the grains softened.
  4. Meanwhile, chop the chillis and coriander.
  5. Heat the oil in a wok until wisps of smoke are starting to rise, at this point you should be slightly nervous about embarking on this adventure…
  6. Fluff the rice up with a fork and serve into two bowls. Crack the eggs into two cups (that’s two per cup). Double check your life insurance policy.
  7. Pick up a bowl of rice in one hand, a cup of eggs in the other, and a slotted spoon in the other. Gently pour the eggs into the hot oil, they will immediately start to bubble and crisp up, so get your pretty fingers out of the way! Use the slotted spoon to gently slosh oil on top of the eggs to crisp them up, it should take about fifteen to twenty seconds to cook the eggs. Gently lift the crispy raft of egg out of the crucible of hell, allow the oil to drain for a second or two before placing on top of the rice. Repeat with the other eggs.
  8. Finally, if you made it this far, garnish with the fresh chilli and coriander, as much fish sauce as you dare, the crispy shallots and a good squeeze of sriricha.
  9. If you survived, well done, enjoy!

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