Thai Puffy Omelet

Name: Thai Puffy Omelet
Ingredients: 3 eggs; 21/2 teaspoons fish sauce; 1/2 teaspoons sugar; 1/2 cups red onion or shallot, thinly sliced (root to stem); 1/4 cups (or 11/2 ounces) lump crabmeat or ground pork, at room temperature (optional); 1 pinch ground white pepper; 2/3 cups vegetable oil; 1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped and with stems (optional); 3 pieces Thai basil leaves, torn, plus more to taste; 1 dash Sriracha sauce, for serving, plus more to taste

10 ingredients

3 steps

Ingredients

3 eggs
21/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cups red onion or shallot, thinly sliced (root to stem)
1/4 cups (or 11/2 ounces) lump crabmeat or ground pork, at room temperature (optional)
1 pinch ground white pepper
2/3 cups vegetable oil
1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped and with stems (optional)
3 pieces Thai basil leaves, torn, plus more to taste
1 dash Sriracha sauce, for serving, plus more to taste

Directions

1

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the fish sauce, then fold in the sugar, red onion, crab or pork, and a pinch of white pepper.
2

Heat an empty wok over high heat until it begins to smoke, then swirl in the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, pour in the egg mixture using one swift motion. You're basically making a deep-fried egg pancake, so the oil should be hot and plentiful. The egg will crackle and sizzle at first, but after about 20 seconds it will have died down enough that you can flip it over. Don't worry about executing the perfect flip; this isn't meant to be a flawless French omelet. Cook the other side for 20 seconds or so, until golden, then remove it from the pan and let it briefly drain on a paper towel. Garnish with herbs, if desired, and serve Sriracha on the side.
3

A note on ground pork: Thai-style is to mix it into the egg raw so that it cooks together with the egg (bring the raw pork to room temperature first). If you're worried about undercooked pork, you can also parcook the meat beforehand.