FRIED EGG SALAD (YUM KAI DAO)

Serves: 4 as an appetizer, 2 as an entrée

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

For the dressing:

1-2 Thai chilies

2 tbsp (30 mL) palm sugar, finely chopped, packed

¼ cup (60 mL) lime juice

3 tbsp (45 mL) fish sauce

For the salad:

4 eggs, room temperature

vegetable oil for frying eggs, as needed

¼ onion, julienned

2 stalks Chinese celery or inner stalks of regular celery, leaves left whole, stalks cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup (125 mL) grape tomatoes, halved

1-2 green onions, chopped

⅓ cup (80 mL) cilantro, chopped

¼ cup (60 mL) roasted peanuts, lightly crushed

1. For the dressing, pound the Thai chilies into a paste in a mortar, then add the palm sugar and pound until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lime juice and fish sauce; mix the dressing by swirling the pestle around. If not using a mortar and pestle, you can finely mince the chilies and stir all the ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved.

2. For the fried eggs, in a wok or a small frying pan, add about ½ inch of oil. For best results, fry one egg at a time. Heat the oil until very hot but not smoking. Crack an egg into the centre of the pan, and turn the heat down to medium; the egg white should start bubbling excitedly right away. As the egg cooks, baste the top with the hot oil. Once the edges of the egg white are browned and crispy, and the yolk is no longer runny, remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

3. For the salad, cut the fried eggs into pieces and add to a salad bowl along with the onion, Chinese celery, grape tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over and toss gently.

4. Transfer onto a plate, sprinkle with the crushed peanuts. Serve alone or with jasmine rice.