I found the salads to be amongst my favorite of the recipes I’ve tried so far. They are simple, lovely, incredibly flavorful little concoctions that make me (and my pallet) very, very happy.

Yam Khai Dou, the fried egg salad, was the first I tried.

The only ingredient you need to make in order to prepare this salad is a Palm Simple Syrup

Yam Khai Dao (Fried Egg Salad)

Serves 2 to 6 as part of a meal; recipe is easily doubled

Ingredients:

Eggs:

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Dressing:

•  1 1/2 cups lime juice (Preferably from Key limes or spiked with a small squeeze of Meyer lemon juice)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of Cheuam Naam Taan Piip (Palm Simple Syrup)
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• 3 grams peeled garlic, halved lengthwise and very thinly spliced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
• 2 grams fresh Thai chilies, preferably green, very thinly sliced

Salad:

• 14 grams green leaf lettuce, cut into 2 inch thick pieces (about 1 cup, lightly packed)
• 1 oz. yellow onion, thinly sliced with the grain (about 1/4 cup, lightly packed)
• 14 grams peeled carrot, cut into long, thin strips (about 3″ x 1/8″) (about 1/4 cup, lightly packed)
• 1/4 cup very coarsely chopped Chinese celery (thin stems and leaves), lightly packed
• 1/4 cup very coarsely chopped cilantro (thin stems and leaves), lightly packed

Preparation:

Fry the Eggs:

Heat a wok or non stick frying pan over high heat, then add just enough oil to reach a depth of a generous 1/4 inch. Once the oil begins to smoke, carefully crack the eggs and decrease the heat to medium. The eggs should spit, bubble and crackle. The whites should puff and develop large transparent bubbles.

Once the egg whites get crispy and golden brown, about 45 second to 1 minute, use spatula to flip the eggs (trying not to break the yolk…but if you do, no problem) and keep cooking until the bottom is golden brown and the yolks are set but still molten, 30 to 45 seconds more. Transfer the eggs to paper towels to drain. Discard the oil, rinse wok, wipe out and let cool.

Make the Dressing and Assemble the Salad:

Add the lime juice, simple syrup, fish sauce, garlic and chilies to the wok, set over medium heat and heat the mixture just until it’s warm to the touch, 15 seconds or so. Turn off the heat.

Quarter the eggs through the yolks and add the to the wok along with the remaining ingredients. Stir gently but well, then transfer the salad, liquid and all, to a plate in a low heap, so that most of the herbs end up on top, and serve.

Palm Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 oz. palm sugar, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water

Preparation:

• Combine the sugar and the water in a very small pot and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring and breaking up the sugar until it softens, just until the sugar has completely dissolved. If the water begins to bubble before the sugar has completely dissolved, turn off the heat and let it finish dissolving in the hot liquid.
• Let cool before storing. The syrup keeps in an airtight fridge for up to 2 weeks.