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

Thailand's street food king: ground pork (or chicken) wok-fried with garlic, chilies, and holy basil, served over rice and crowned with a fried egg that has crispy lace edges from being cooked in screaming-hot oil. The runny yolk mixes with the sauce and makes the whole plate come together.

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.