THIS SURPRISINGLY FLUFFY THAI OMELET IS DEEP-FRIED
LEARN TO MAKE HOLY BASIL’S CLASSIC STREET-FOOD DISH
AT HOLY BASIL, one of the L.A. Times’ top 101 restaurants, chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat serves one of the most iconic egg dishes in the world, and one I haven’t stopped thinking about for weeks. After launching their downtown location during the pandemic, he and partner Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon recently debuted a second Holy Basil in Atwater Village, where he puts kai jiew on full display: The fluffy Thai omelet is whipped until bubbly and then slowly fried in scalding oil, instantly puffing up for a cloudlike inner texture.
“It can be breakfast, it can be brunch, you can do lunch and dinner — it can be anything,” he said of the beloved street food.
Arpapornnopparat says it’s the first dish he learned to make, with memories of pulling up a short stepping stool in the kitchen to peer over his mother and aunt as they prepared it and so many other Thai dishes, passing their knowledge on to him.
“It’s such a simple dish that maybe it’s the first thing you learn cooking in Thailand,” he said, sitting down to a plate of it in his Atwater Village restaurant. “Your mom probably will be like, ‘Hey, can you help me make kai jiew?’ ”
The outer surface of kai jiew, all golden brown, provides a chewy exterior with crags and small fried bits that splay out around the edges for variety in texture — and, in Arpapornnopparat’s case, serve as the ideal vessel for catching every drop of prik nam pla, a classic Thai condiment.
“It’s a dipping sauce,” he said. “[It’s] basically almost like salt for other people, but it has aromatics like garlic and lime juice that’s unique to Thai cuisine in its balance of sweetness and sourness.”
Arpapornnopparat was kind enough to share his recipe for kai jiew and prik nam pla with The Times, and I’ve had the pleasure of re-creating them at home since. Enjoyed simply or with rice, kai jiew is a recipe that shares well. Of course, it’s also simple enough that, with two pans going at once, two can be made simultaneously. (“You should be able to make two omelets at once,” Anthony Bourdain once wrote in his cookbook “Appetites,” a perennial favorite. “[But] probably no more. Unless you’re like me.”) /newsletters
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Make the prik nam pla: Ina small bowl, combine fish sauce, fresh lime juice and sugar. Whisk together until sugar dissolves. Thinly slice chiles, shallot and garlic, then add to the wet ingredients. Add cilantro and stir to combine. Set aside.
Make the kai jiew: In a small or medium mixing bowl, combine fish sauce, shallots, Thai bird’s eye chiles and Thai basil. Crack the eggs into the bowl, then beat with a fork or whisk to combine until large bubbles form, about two minutes.
Add oil to an 8- or 9-inch frying pan over high heat. Using an infrared thermometer, wait until the oil reaches between 400 and 415 degrees Fahrenheit, just lightly bubbling, then pour the beaten egg mixture into the pan at a moderate pace, allowing the oil to retain heat without burning the eggs.
Use a spatula to lift the edges and center of the egg as it fries, ensuring it does not stick to the pan. (Should the pan exceed 8 inches, also use the spatula to gently move the edges of the egg toward their center, so that the omelet’s edges are not flat and burnt.) Cook for one to two minutes.
Gently flip the egg to cook the other side, and cook for another minute. Repeat the process — you’re cooking each side twice, with a total fry time of six to eight minutes — until the eggs are fluffy and lightly browned on both sides. The omelet should be ready for plating.
Remove the omelet from the hot oil and plate. Sprinkle with white pepper, to taste, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Spoon prik nam pla over the eggs and enjoy.