Holy Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

Ingredients

• 500g minced chicken thigh
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 4 tbsp for the eggs
• 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 6 bird's eye chillies, roughly chopped
• 100g long beans or green beans, cut into 1cm pieces
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 large handfuls holy basil leaves, from Thai shops, or Thai basil
• 4 eggs
• 300g jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions and keep warm.

2. Stir the oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, fish sauce, sugar and water together in a small bowl.

3. Pound the garlic and chillies to a coarse paste in a pestle and mortar, or chop very finely.

4. Heat the 3 tbsp oil in a wok over a high heat until smoking. Fry the garlic and chilli paste for 15 seconds, then add the chicken and stir-fry for 3 minutes, breaking it up.

5. Add the long beans and sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the sauce clings to it.

6. Turn off the heat and fold in the basil until just wilted.

7. Heat the 4 tbsp oil in a frying pan until very hot. Fry the eggs for 1 to 2 minutes until the whites are crisp and brown at the edges and the yolks are runny.

8. Spoon the chicken over the rice and top each portion with a fried egg.