This leads to colorful dishes like Thailand’s Son-in-Law-Eggs, whose backstory is as delicious as the dish.
“The mother-in-law will cook these for her son-in-law if she thinks he is being unkind to her daughter − it will remind him that his family jewels could well end up fried on a plate if he doesn’t clean up his act,” laughs Cecilia Brooks Brown, author of “World Vegetarian Classics” (Pavilion, $24.95). “But the dish sure is a treat to eat!”
Recipe: Kai Look Koie: Son-in-Law Eggs (Thailand)
Serves: 6
Ingredients
6 organic eggs
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
6 shallots, finely sliced
6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
6 Boston lettuce leaves
For the tamarind sauce:
2 ounces tamarind, about a 2- by 2-inch piece
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small fresh red chili, sliced
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
Light soy sauce to taste (optional)
Instructions
To make: First make the tamarind sauce. Place the tamarind in a small saucepan and pour over the boiling water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the flesh falls off the seeds. Strain into a bowl, then return the tamarind water to the pan. Add the ginger, cumin, chilli and sugar and stir. Bring to the boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until thick, about 10-15 minutes.
Taste at this stage — tamarind can have a natural saltiness to it, so if you don’t think it is salty enough, add soy sauce to taste. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water. When cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and rinse and dry them thoroughly.
Heat a 2-inch depth of oil in a wok or large, deep saucepan until a piece of shallot sizzles immediately — the oil should be shimmering but not smoking. Alternatively, use a deep-fat fryer and heat the oil to 375 degrees.
Have ready a plate lined with paper towels. Add all the shallots to the oil and cook until just golden but not burned, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with garlic.
Next, add the eggs to the oil. Deep-fry, rolling them gently with the slotted spoon for even cooking, until deep golden and crisp all over, about 5 minutes. Drain.
Line up the lettuce leaves on the plate and spoon the now tepid tamarind sauce inside them. Top with an egg and garnish with fried shallots and garlic.
Excerpted from “World Vegetarian Classics: Over 200 Essential International Recipes for the Modern Kitchen” (Pavilion, an imprint of Anova, $24.95).
