Pok Pok Drinking Food of Thailand delves into the country’s extensive bar snacks and late night munchies with Andy Ricker.
At morning market stalls devoted to kafae boraan (coffee brewed old-school, in a sock-shaped strainer) and tea, you’d be wise to order khai luak (coddled egg). You’ll watch as the vendor drowns an egg in boiling water inside of an empty evaporated milk tin. When the egg is cracked into a cup for serving, it’s basically just warmed-up—still more raw than cooked. Along with a few dashes of seasoning sauce and toast, brushed with bright-yellow margarine and cut into “soldiers,” it has kick started many days for me in Thailand.
Directions
- Put the eggs in a tall, heatproof container with a lid that can hold about 4 cups.
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Into the container, pour enough boiling water to cover the eggs by 2 to 3 inches, then cover the container, and let the eggs sit for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on how cooked (from warm to barely set whites) you like your eggs.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread, spread on the butter or margarine, and cut each slice into four soldiers. When the eggs are ready, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and carefully crack the hot eggs directly into a short glass. Season the eggs with the Maggi or soy sauce and pepper. Serve with eggs with the toast soldiers alongside for dipping.
Reprinted with permission from Pok Pok Drinking Food of Thailand, copyright © 2017 Andy Ricker and JJ Goode. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
