Stuffed Omelette ไข่ยัดไส้ (kai yud sai)

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 cloves garlic
• ¼ tsp white peppercorns
• 1 cilantro root, chopped (or substitute 3 cilantro stems, finely chopped)
• ¼ cup onion, small diced
• ½ cup tomato, diced
• 125 g. ground pork (you can use other ground meat or crumbled tofu)
• 1 ½ tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup long beans, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1-2 tsp tamarind juice (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp fish sauce
• Jasmine rice for serving
• Garnish: Finely julienned red bell pepper and cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Pound together garlic, white peppercorns, and cilantro roots in a mortar and pestle until a paste is achieved.

In a bowl, mix together ground pork and soy sauce until well combined, mashing the pork to get rid of the “pork tubes.” 

In a wok or a saute pan, heat a little vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic mixture and stir until aromatic and the garlic starts to turn golden. Add onion and tomato and cook until the onion is translucent and the tomato begins to mush, about 1-2 minutes.

Add ground pork, sugar, oyster sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until pork is almost done. Add long beans and stir for another 30-45 seconds until the pork is fully cooked. If you have liquid pooling at the bottom, turn up the heat and cook until the sauce is no longer pooling. Remove from heat, then taste and adjust seasoning; you may wish to add a teaspoon or so of tamarind juice to brighten up the flavours. Keep warm while you make the omelette. 

Beat 2 eggs with fish sauce well until there are no bits of egg whites remaining. In a large (12-inch) frying pan, brush the bottom with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat (if you a using a good non-stick pan, you just need to lightly grease it). Once the pan is hot, add the eggs and tilt the pan until the entire surface of the pan is coated evenly. Reduce heat to low and let the egg cook until the top is dry and the bottom has a light golden brown colour; if your burner is smaller than the pan, move the pan around to ensure even browning. When the egg is dry, remove from heat and run a rubber spatula along the edges of the omelette to release it from the pan. For the next step, you can transfer the egg onto a plate (browned side down) or leave it in the pan.

Put most of the filling in the middle of the omelette, reserving about 2 Tbsp, and fold the edges over on 4 sides, creating a square package.

To flip the omelette onto a serving plate: Place the serving plate upside down on top of the omelette and, holding the serving plate securely, quickly flip the pan (or plate, if you’ve moved the omelette to a plate).

To serve: Score an “X” on top of the egg with a knife, open up the flaps and add the reserved filling on top to give it some extra height (you may need to push the filling around a bit to get a nice mound). Close the flaps (or leave them open) and garnish with some cilantro sprigs and finely julienned red bell pepper. Serve with jasmine rice.

Thai Stuffed Omelette