Crispy Bangkok eggs with tamarind sauce

White rice Cooked

For the tamarind sauce

Bird’s eye chillies 3, finely chopped

Tamarind concentrate 3 tbsp

Granulated white sugar 3 tbsp

Water 2 tbsp

Fish sauce 1 tbsp

Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) 1 tsp

For the crispy shallots

Shallots 400g

Vegetable oil 500ml

For the eggs

Vegetable oil 6–7 tbsp

Eggs 4

Crispy shallots 2 tbsp

1. Cook the rice as required for the number of servings and set aside.
2. For the sauce: place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then set aside. Any leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.
3. For the eggs: heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat. Crack two eggs into the pan and fry sunny-side up, spooning some of the hot oil onto the eggs to help cook the whites. Fry until the eggs have crisp, bubbly edges, but the yolks are still runny. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
4. For the crispy shallots: peel, half and finely slice the shallots, then heat the oil in a deep saucepan or work to 180C over a medium–high heat. Gently lower the sliced shallots into the hot oil and stir to distribute. Lower the heat to medium and fry for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Once all the shallots are brown, turn the heat down and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Drain through a sieve set over a mixing bowl, and let the shallots cool in the sieve. Store the shallots in an airtight container and the oil in a jar for up to two weeks.
5. To serve: spoon the fluffy rice onto plates to create a bed for the eggs. Place the eggs on the rice and drizzle 4–5 tablespoons of tamarind sauce over them. Top with a sprinkling of crispy shallots.