We still can’t travel overseas yet, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on our favourite dishes.
For most Singaporeans, the Land of Smiles is one of the top travel destinations. From food, to shopping and scenery, Thailand has so much to offer. And speaking of food, their street food culture is incredibly vibrant and complex. As a testament to that, they’ve been featured on Netflix series ‘Street Food: Asia’, including Michelin-starred street food chef Jay Fai and her famous crab omelettes.
To get my travel fix, I’ve decided to try out my own budget version of Jay Fai’s crab omelette. It’s a lot less fancy, since I ended up using imitation crabmeat rather than the real thing, but it’s super yummy as well.
If you’re craving a hearty egg-centric meal like I am, then follow along with our recipe for Thai Crab Omelette in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 200g crab meat or imitation crab meat
- 6 eggs
- 25g wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 600ml cooking oil
Tools
- Deep wok for frying
- Spatula
- Whisk OR Fork for mixing
- Mixing bowl
- Pouring jug
Recipe Preparation
Preparation time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes
Feeds one to two
- Beat 3 eggs in a pouring jug.
- Mix flour and baking powder to form a dry flour mixture.
- Crack the other 3 eggs into an ovenproof bowl.
- Add the flour mixture and beat well.
- Heat the oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes and then test the temperature by dropping some of the beaten egg into it. If the egg floats on the top, sizzles and cooks quickly the oil is ready.
- Pour the egg-and-flour mixture into the hot oil.
- Immediately add in the crabmeat as well, making sure it’s in the centre of the egg-and-flour mixture.
- Let the outside cook for about 30 seconds and then begin to roll it into shape.
- Roll into a tight cylinder. Keep rolling and pressing firmly to get it tight. Don’t press too hard, or it will split.
- Remove any excess bits that have not bonded and keep rolling and pressing.
- Fill any holes in the omelette with the beaten egg from the pouring jug to get it smooth.
- Seal the ends with the beaten egg from the pouring jug.
- Keep rolling, pressing and removing any excess bits, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Flip on to a plate, and serve.
Recipe in Pictures
Step 1: Beat 3 eggs in a pouring jug. Use the jug for easier pouring and portion control.
Step 2: Mix flour and baking powder to form a dry flour mixture.
Step 3: Crack the other 3 eggs into an ovenproof bowl.
Step 4: Add the flour mixture and beat well. Make sure that there aren’t any flour lumps.
Step 5: Heat the oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes and then test the temperature by dropping some of the beaten egg into it. If the egg floats on the top, sizzles and cooks quickly the oil is ready.
Step 6: Pour the egg-and-flour mixture into the hot oil. It will sizzle immediately, but don’t worry—it won’t burn.
Step 7: Immediately add in the crabmeat as well, making sure it’s in the centre of the egg-and-flour mixture.
Step 8: Let the outside cook for about 30 seconds and then begin to roll it into shape. Use the spatula to roll it. It’ll help if you have an additional spatula or pair of chopsticks to help you push the omelette into a cylinder.
Step 9: Roll into a tight cylinder. Keep rolling and pressing firmly to get it tight. Don’t press too hard, or it will split. Make sure that all the crabmeat is packed within the cylinder.
Step 10: Remove any excess bits that have not bonded and keep rolling and pressing. This takes a bit of patience and a delicate touch, so don’t be too hasty.
Step 11: Fill any holes in the omelette with the beaten egg from the pouring jug to get it smooth. Pour a little at a time so that you can make sure it sticks to the omelette.
Step 12: Seal the ends with the beaten egg from the pouring jug.
Step 13: Keep rolling, pressing and removing any excess bits, and cook for 15 minutes.
Step 14: Flip onto a plate, and serve. Garnish with fried shallots or spring onions if you’d like.
This omelette came out way bigger and heavier than I expected! It’s certainly enough for two to share.
While I used imitation crab meat rather than the real deal, this Thai Crab Omelette turned out tasty enough. I can imagine that had I used actual crab, the meat would be so much sweeter and more succulent.
What I really liked about the omelette were the craggy, crispy bits and how well it contrasted with the soft and fluffy inner layer. I shared this with my husband for dinner, and it was surprisingly filling. It’s definitely a recipe that I’ll try again.
And for all of you who are missing Thai street food and want to give this a try, let us know how it goes!
Expected Damage: S$6 – S$8 per portion (feeds 2 pax)
