Pad kra pao

Ingredients

• 600 g ground pork
• 1 bunch Thai basil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 pieces red bird's eye chilies
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp cane sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp neutral oil
• 4 pieces eggs
• 320 g jasmine rice

Method

1. Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs less cloudy, then cook covered until the grains are tender and fluffy; let it rest while the pork cooks.
2. Pick the Thai basil leaves, keeping them whole and discarding the thick stems; they must be dry so they do not make the pan soggy.
3. Pound or chop the garlic with the chilies until you get a coarse, highly fragrant paste, without trying to make a smooth purée.
4. Mix the fish sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cane sugar, and water in a bowl; the mixture should be salty, slightly sweet, and very punchy before cooking.
5. Heat a large skillet or wok with some of the neutral oil until it is screaming hot, then sear the ground pork by spreading it out; let it brown before stirring, until it releases its moisture and begins to sizzle.
6. Add the garlic-chili paste and stir briskly until the aroma becomes pungent and toasted, without letting the garlic burn.
7. Pour in the sauce mixture, scrape up any browned bits, and stir-fry until the pork is glossy, juicy but not soupy, with a tight sauce coating the meat.
8. Turn off the heat, add the Thai basil, and fold it in just enough to wilt and flavor the meat without blackening.
9. In another pan, fry the eggs in the remaining hot oil until the edges are golden and crispy, with the yolk still runny if possible.
10. Immediately serve the basil pork over the jasmine rice, topped with the fried egg and the pan juices to soak into the grains.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

813.3 kcal

Protein

40.42 g

Carbohydrate

66.78 g

Fat

41.62 g

Fibre

1.49 g

Calcium

5.21 mg

Iron

0.24 mg

Magnesium

8.61 mg