Crunchy fried eggs, brown rice, Thai dressing, smoked tofu

5.00

This centrepiece of this beautiful vegetarian brown rice dish from Richard Bainbridge is a deep-fried soft boiled Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker® egg. The egg is fried from raw until the whites are set and crunchy, but the yolk is still runny. It makes a great contrast to the tangy and sweet soy dressing.

First published in 2023

Richard says: 'One of the greatest joys of this simple dish, is having it served up at the table, popping your chopsticks into your fried egg, and breaking the yolk so that the contents spill out, adding to the sauce on top of your delicious lunch.'

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Thai dressing

Method

1

To make the Thai dressing, put all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well incorporated. This dressing will keep well in a clean, sterilised jar

2

For the crunchy fried egg, place a pan of vegetable oil (approximately 250-500ml) onto a medium heat and bring to a temperature of 180°C

  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying
3

Now crack the eggs, one per person, into individual ramekins or small bowls. This just makes things easier for later on and is the key to getting the egg crispy on the outside and soft on the inside

4

Make sure you have a slotted spoon to hand, a cooling rack lined with kitchen paper and some sea salt, so that you are ready

5

Now, I can’t get away from the fact that the first couple of times you make these eggs, you will probably be nervous, but the more confidence you build up, the better the eggs will become and they are absolutely delicious, so do persevere! Carefully and in one go, pour the egg into the middle of the pan of hot oil, being careful not to get splashed. Stand back for 10 seconds and allow the egg to cook and become crunchy. Then, using a slotted spoon, move the egg around and toss it over until it becomes crunchy and golden all the way round. After a minute or two, the egg will be ready, so carefully remove it from the oil and drain on the prepared kitchen paper

6

Sprinkle lightly with sea salt whilst it is still hot

7

It could not be simpler to dress the dish. Spoon some brown rice into the bottom of a bowl, then lay the various toppings around the edge and top with the crunchy fried egg in the middle. Finish with two to three (if not more) generous tablespoons of Thai dressing drizzled all over and serve

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With a background in classical cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens, Richard Bainbridge returned to his home city of Norwich to open Benedicts, a renowned restaurant which serves Norfolk produce cooked with passion, playfulness and creativity.

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