Pad Kra Pao

Method8 steps · about 25 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Before heating the pan, thinly slice both shallots (2), mince all 6 garlic cloves and chop all 4 bird’s-eye chilies. Wash and pick the handful of Thai basil or holy basil leaves. Have the separately cooked hot rice and prepared fried eggs ready for serving. In a small bowl mix all 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, ½ tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water; keep this complete sauce separate from the chicken stock.

   Uses 2 shallots, thinly sliced · 6 clove garlic, minced · 4 bird’s-eye chilies, chopped · 1 handful Thai basil (or holy basil) · 1 tbsp fish sauce · 1 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tbsp dark soy sauce · 0.5 tbsp oyster sauce

2. 2

   Step 2: Heat all 2 tablespoons neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add both prepared sliced shallots and all prepared minced garlic from step 1. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until fragrant; avoid scorching the garlic.

   Fry shallots and garlic · 2 minUses 2 tbsp neutral oil · Both shallots sliced in step 1 · All 6 cloves minced in step 1

3. 3

   Step 3: Add all the prepared chopped bird’s-eye chilies from step 1 to the fragrant shallot-garlic mixture from step 2. Stir-fry together for another 1 minute.

   Fry chopped chilies · 1 minUses All the oil and aromatics already fried in step 2 · All 4 chilies chopped in step 1

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Add all 450 g ground pork, or the same source amount of ground beef or chicken, to the chili-aromatic mixture from step 3. Break the meat into small pieces and keep stirring until the liquid evaporates and the meat begins to brown, about 4–5 minutes. The next step checks actual doneness for your chosen meat.

   Brown ground meat · 4 minUses The complete aromatic mixture fried in step 3 · 450 g ground pork (or ground beef or chicken)

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Continue cooking the browned ground meat and aromatics from step 4 until a food thermometer reads 71°C / 160°F for ground pork or beef, or 74°C / 165°F for ground chicken. Browning and the earlier time guide alone do not establish this endpoint.

   Uses The full meat and aromatic mixture browned in step 4

6. 6

   Step 6: Pour the complete prepared sauce from step 1 and all ¼ cup chicken stock into the fully cooked meat mixture from step 5. Stir-fry until the liquid thickens and coats the meat; the author gives no fixed reduction time.

   Uses All the meat and aromatics cooked to the proper endpoint in step 5 · All six measured sauce ingredients mixed in step 1 · 0.25 cup chicken stock

7. 7

   Step 7: Fold all the prepared basil leaves from step 1 into the saucy ground meat from step 6. Stir-fry quickly for 1 minute more, until the leaves wilt.

   Wilt basil · 1 minUses The complete meat and reduced sauce from step 6 · The whole washed handful of Thai basil or holy basil leaves prepared in step 1

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Divide the finished basil stir-fry from step 7 between the two source servings. Serve with the separate ready-cooked hot rice and prepared fried eggs. Their serving amounts are not measured in the source; this recipe starts with them already cooked.

   Uses All the fully cooked meat, sauce and wilted basil from step 7 · as desired cooked rice, hot (for serving) · as desired fried eggs (already prepared; for serving)