Pan eggs (khai krata)

As the name might suggest, this simple breakfast dish is served in the small frying pan it's cooked in and is traditionally served with minced pork and Thai-style sausage.

Credit: Alana Dimou

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), cut into 5-mm (¼-in) slices
• 1 pork sausage, such as chorizo
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted cultured butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 slices of ham
• 1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced
• freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Minced pork

• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• ½ onion, finely diced
• 100 g (3½ oz) minced (ground) pork
• 4 banana prawns (shrimp), peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. First, prepare the minced pork. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Stir-fry the onion until translucent, then add the minced pork and prawn. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes, until caramelised. Add the remaining minced pork ingredients and taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the sliced Chinese sausage and the whole pork sausage and boil for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towel. Cut the pork sausage into 5-mm (¼-in) slices, if desired. Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and pan-fry the sausages until caramelised on both sides. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Divide the butter between two small frying pans suitable for serving. Place the frying pans over medium heat and melt the butter, then add 2 eggs to each pan. Cover the pans and cook the eggs for 2 minutes. Uncover the pans and add the minced pork, sausages and ham, pressing them into the egg whites. Cover and cook the eggs, checking frequently, until they are done to your liking. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with spring onion and white pepper to taste.
4. Serve the khai krata in the pans they were cooked in, but be careful – the metal will still be hot.

 

Recipe and images from Bangkok Local by Sareen Rojanametin and Jean Thamthanakorn, Smith Street Books, RRP $39.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.