Пад Крапоу Му

Ordered hot, the way it comes off the wok at a good street stall, and eaten fast before the egg stops running.

• Ground pork, cooked hard and fast so it catches at the edges.
• Thai basil, thrown in at the end, still sharp.
• Chili and garlic, pounded together first.
• Green beans, cut short, still with a snap.
• A fried egg on top, yolk soft.

This is the Central Thai plate, stir-fried over high heat so the pork browns instead of steaming, with the basil going in last so it keeps its bite. You get heat here, not warmth, and the egg is there to cut it. Contains: eggs.