Sausage laab and fried egg bun
Laab is a ‘salad’ made from minced or finely chopped meat or fish. Styles vary, but typically the protein (cooked or raw), is seasoned with aromatics such as lemongrass, galangal, lime, fish sauce, chilli and fresh herbs, and topped with toasted rice powder. It’s the national dish of Laos, prominent in northern Thailand too, and personally, if I see one on a menu, I can’t resist it. Also, while not in any way traditional, it makes total sense (to me, at least) to turn the meat inside sausages into a laab, put that in a soft bun, and add a crisp fried egg for good measure.
You can also consider using minced beef (a burger mix works well) or chopped chicken livers, instead of the sausage meat, or rating the laab and fried egg with rice or flatbreads, instead of the burger bun.
This recipe is an extract from Good Eggs: Over 100 Cracking Ways to Cook and Elevate Egg by Ed Smith (Quadrille).
Next, why not try more breakfast and brunch recipes from the House & Garden recipe archive?
Yield
Makes 2
Ingredients
Method
Step 1
Score the sausages with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove the meat and discard the skins, then ball the meat into a flat patty.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a wok set over a high heat. Add the sausagemeat and squash it down using the back of a spatula. Let this fry for around 45 seconds, so that it begins to colour. Then start to break up the patty, again using a spatula to squash and chop away at it. Keep going until the meat is in a fine, minced meat-like consistency.
Step 3
Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and three quarters of the fresh chilli. Cook the aromatics for 45–60 seconds, continually stirring and shaking wok. Then add the sugar and spices and cook for another 45–60 seconds, stirring frequently and adding a tablespoon of water if the meat is sticking.
Step 4
Squeeze in the lime juice, add the fish sauce and Thai basil, then immediately remove from the heat. Stir and set aside, allowing the basil to wilt a little while you fry two eggs in neutral oil and toast the buns.
Step 5
To assemble, spoon the fragrant pork over the base of each bun. Sprinkle generously with rice powder, then place an egg on top before closing the bun and tucking in.
