dinner

Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Stir-Fry with Fried Egg)

Name: Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Stir-Fry with Fried Egg)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 8 ounces ground pork; 2 large eggs; 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 3 to 5 Thai bird's-eye chilies, roughly chopped (adjust to heat tolerance); 1 cup Thai holy basil leaves (or Italian basil in a pinch); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying eggs; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Pad kra pao is defined by high heat and the egg that goes on top. The stir-fry cooks in a very hot wok: garlic and Thai chilies go in first, then ground meat, then fish sauce, oyster sauce, and a small amount of sugar. Holy basil goes in last, off the heat, so it wilts without cooking away its anise character. The fried egg is cooked separately in plenty of oil, hot enough that the edges immediately blister and crisp to a lacy, golden brown while the yolk stays completely liquid. This is not a gentle fried egg; it requires more oil than feels comfortable. The egg is placed on top of the meat over rice, and the runny yolk breaks over the savory, spiced meat when the dish is mixed. That yolk is the cooling element, the richness that moderates the heat of the chilies. A well-fried egg with a crisp exterior and intact yolk is not decoration. It is structural to how the dish tastes.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 8 min Total: 18 min Serves: 2

Ingredients

8 ounces ground pork
2 large eggs
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 to 5 Thai bird's-eye chilies, roughly chopped (adjust to heat tolerance)
1 cup Thai holy basil leaves (or Italian basil in a pinch)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying eggs
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil.
Add garlic and chilies. Stir-fry for 15 seconds — they should sizzle aggressively.
Add the ground pork. Break it apart and stir-fry over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through and starting to crisp in places.
Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Toss to combine. Remove from heat and fold in the basil leaves — they will wilt from the residual heat.
Fry the eggs: Heat a generous amount of oil in a separate small skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers. Crack the eggs in carefully. The whites will puff and crisp at the edges almost immediately. Cook for about 90 seconds until the whites are set and lacy but the yolks are still runny.
Serve the stir-fry over jasmine rice, topped with a fried egg. Break the yolk at the table.

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