pad see ew cabbage with a runny egg

I know what you’re thinking, but there is absolutely NOTHING ew about this dish!! AHEM, okay, sure, pad thai, tom yum soup, and papaya salad are the usual Thai restaurant orders, but I feel in my SOUL that pad see ew is majorly slept on. The bouncy, smooth noodles, the sweet soy sauce, the crispy, toasty edges, and the whipped egg swirled in—my god, this NEEDS to be in your life if it isn’t yet. Now, of course I could have given you an actual recipe for pad see ew, but honestly, there are plenty online and my mom has an incredible recipe for it in *her* book. But what’s NOT out there is those same sweet-savory flavors, tossed and toasted with stir-fried cabbage. Beyond just being WAY less carby, I’ve saved you from the brutal task of finding fresh wide rice noodles, which honestly is next to impossible if you don’t have an Asian supermarket nearby. The cabbage still gets that sweet caramelization, plus crunch, and if you’d like, feel free to spice it up with red pepper flakes. Personally, I like to keep it on the sweet side, but good lord, you’ll love this either way.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1MAKE THE CABBAGE: In a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Cut the cabbage in half through the core, then cut a “V” from the cut side of each half to remove the core, then discard the core. Cut the cabbage halves into 1-inch-wide ribbons and separate them. (You should have 10 to 12 cups of ribbons, but don’t worry; it shrinks down.)

Step 2

2 Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a very large (12- or 14-inch) skillet. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the salt right onto the oil, then arrange the cabbage in as much of a single layer as possible in the skillet, cramming on some pieces if you need to. (If you don’t have a huge skillet, do it in 2 batches with half the oil and cabbage each time.) Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes (if using) on top of the cabbage and cook, uncovered, without stirring, until the underside is charred and caramelized, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir, and then continue to cook, moving the cabbage around, until it’s a little more wilted and charred, 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 3

3 When the cabbage is pretty tender but still has some snap, push it to the side of the skillet, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the empty side of the skillet. Add the scallion whites and the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute, without mixing it into the cabbage. Then stir everything together and add the oyster-soy mixture. Cook, stirring until the cabbage shrinks a bit more, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Step 4

4MAKE THE EGGS: Heat a small (8-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 3 tablespoons of the oil, let it heat for about 10 seconds, then crack an egg into the skillet and cook, tipping the skillet slightly and using a spoon to baste the white of the egg with the oil, until the edges get lacy and crisp, the white is set, but the yolk is still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a fish spatula or other spatula to carefully transfer the egg to the skillet and place on the cabbage, then repeat with the remaining eggs, adding oil as necessary between batches.

Step 5

5 Once you get the eggs in the skillet with the cabbage, season them with salt and pepper, then scoop out the egg-topped cabbage onto serving plates. Garnish each with the scallion greens.