Ping Coombes’ crispy Bangkok eggs recipe

“I took the family to Bangkok two years ago. We went to this highly recommended restaurant and one of the dishes the girls raved about was fried eggs in a sweet and spicy sauce,” says Ping Coombes. “They could not get enough of this, so I set out to recreate it. The secret to the crispy edges on eggs is the amount of oil you use.”

Crispy Bangkok eggs

Ingredients:
(Serves 2-4)

6–7tbsp vegetable oil
4 eggs
2tbsp crispy shallots (homemade or store-bought)

For the sauce:
3 bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped
3tbsp tamarind concentrate
3tbsp granulated white sugar
2tbsp water
1tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp kecap manis

For the crispy shallots:
400g shallots
500ml vegetable oil

Method:

1. For the crispy shallots (if making): Peel and cut each shallot in half, then slice thinly. Heat the oil in a wok or a medium, deep saucepan to 180°C (160°C/gas mark 4) over a medium–high heat. To test the oil, you can use drop a little piece of shallot into the oil – it should sizzle immediately.

2. Gently lower the sliced shallots into the hot oil and stir with a wooden or metal spoon to distribute them evenly. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for 15 minutes. Swirl the shallots from time to time to ensure they cook evenly. After this time, if not all the shallots are brown, turn the heat down a little, give it another swirl and cook for a further two to three minutes.

3. Drain through a fine sieve set over a mixing bowl. Let the shallots cool in the sieve. As they cool, they will crisp up further. Keep the shallots in an airtight container and the oil in a bottle or jar for future use. They can both be kept at room temperature for up to two weeks.

4. Place all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

5. In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Crack two eggs into the pan and fry sunny-side up, spooning some of the hot oil onto the eggs to help cook the whites. Fry until the eggs have crispy and bubbly edges but the yolks are still runny. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

6. Drizzle four to five tablespoons of the tamarind sauce all over the eggs and sprinkle with the crispy shallots. Any leftover sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for five days.

Rice by Ping Coombes (Murdoch Books, £26) murdochbooks.co.uk, is available February 12