Pad kra pao

• 4 u Egg
  Swaps (2)
• 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
  Swaps (1)
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 150 ml Vegetable Oil (2 tablespoons for the stir-fry and the rest for frying the eggs)
• 4 u Red Chilli (small Thai bird's eye chillies, to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
  Swaps (1)
• 500 g Chicken Thighs (boneless and skinless, or minced pork)
  Swaps (1)
• 1.5 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
  Swaps (1)
• 300 g Jasmine Rice
• 2 handfuls Basil (holy basil (kra pao) if you can find it, otherwise Thai basil, leaves only)
• 450 ml Water (about 400 ml for the rice and 3 tablespoons for the sauce)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the rice in a sieve under the tap until the water runs almost clear. Put it in a pan with about 400 ml of water and bring to the boil; cover, turn the heat right down and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it to stand, covered, while you prepare everything else.

   17 min

2. 2

   Pound the peeled garlic and the chillies in a mortar to a coarse paste; if you have no mortar, chop them very finely together. Chop the chicken by hand, first into strips and then into irregular chickpea-sized pieces. In a glass, mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and 3 tablespoons of water.

   10 min

3. 3

   Fry the eggs first: heat a finger of oil in a wok or small frying pan until it is just smoking and crack in one egg. Spoon the oil over it until the white puffs up and the edges are golden and crisp, with the yolk still runny. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the rest.

   6 min

4. 4

   Pour off the oil from the wok, leaving about 2 tablespoons, and set it over a high heat. Stir-fry the garlic and chilli paste for a few seconds until fragrant, without letting it burn; keep your face away, as the fumes sting.

   1 min

5. 5

   Add the chicken, spread it out and leave it untouched for a minute so it browns. Then stir-fry, breaking up any clumps, until there is no pink left.

   4 min

6. 6

   Pour in the sauce mixture and stir-fry until the meat is glossy and almost dry. Turn off the heat, add the basil and stir only until it wilts. Taste and add a few more drops of fish sauce if needed.

   2 min

7. 7

   Serve the rice on plates with the stir-fry alongside and top each with a fried egg. When eating, break the yolk so it runs into the rice and sauce.