Yam Khai Dao (Fried egg salad)

By lorik

This Yam Khai Dao (Fried egg salad) is amazing! Call it salad or whatever you want, but make it right away!

Ingredients

• EGGS & DRESSING:
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 to 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (preferably from Key limes or spiked with a small squeeze of Meyer lemon juice)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Palm Sugar Simple Syrup (Don't worry; it's easy to make: food52.com/recipes/24661)
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, sliced very thin
• 2 fresh Thai chiles, preferably green, thinly sliced
• SALAD:
• 1 cup torn green leaf lettuce (about 2-inch pieces), lightly packed
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced (cut with the grain)
• 1/4 cup long carrot strips (about 3-inch), sliced thin (about 1/8-inch)
• 1/4 cup Chinese celery, coarsely chopped (thin stems and leaves), lightly packed
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped (thin stems and leaves), lightly packed

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 25mins
Adapted from food52.com

Preparation

Step 1

Fry the eggs: Heat a wok or nonstick frying pan over high heat, then add just enough oil to reach a depth of a generous 1/4 inch. Once the oil begins to smoke, carefully crack in the eggs (holding them close to the oil to avoid splatter) and decrease the heat to medium. The eggs should spit, bubble, and crackle wildly. The whites should puff and develop large transparent bubbles.

Once the whites get crispy and deep golden brown at the edges, 45 seconds to 1 minute, use a spatula to flip the eggs (try not to break the yolks, but if you do, it’s fine) and keep cooking until the bottom is golden brown and the yolks are set but still molten, 30 to 45 seconds more. Transfer the eggs to paper towels to drain. Discard the oil, then rinse and wipe out the wok and let it cool. You can fry the eggs up to 15 minutes or so before you make the salad.

Make the dressing and assemble the salad: Add the lime juice, simple syrup, fish sauce, garlic, and chiles to the wok, set it over medium heat, and heat the mixture just until it’s warm to the touch, 15 seconds or so. Turn off the heat.

Quarter the eggs through the yolks and add them to the wok along with the remaining ingredients. Stir gently but well, then transfer the salad, liquid and all, to a plate in a low heap, so that most of the herbs end up near the top, and serve.