I first had this dish in Thailand last year, and I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was such a simple combination: soft scrambled eggs, juicy shrimp, crispy garlic, and fragrant garlic-infused oil, but the flavors were incredible.
When I came home, I wanted to recreate that same experience in my own kitchen. The key to this recipe is the crispy garlic. Finely chopped garlic is rinsed, dried, and gently cooked in olive oil until golden and crunchy. The garlic-infused oil is then used to cook the shrimp and the eggs, giving the entire dish a delicious garlic aroma.
For crispy garlic, don’t skip the rinsing step. Finely chopping or crushing garlic releases allicin, a sulfur-containing compound responsible for garlic’s sharp, pungent flavor. It also releases sugars and other compounds that can brown very quickly when heated. Rinsing the finely chopped garlic helps remove some of the sticky surface compounds that cause the bitter taste when garlic is overheated.
The scrambled eggs are cooked just until soft and creamy, while the shrimp add a juicy, savory bite. Served over warm rice and finished with crispy garlic, garlic oil, and fresh spring onion, it’s a simple meal that can be done in under 30 minutes and feels incredibly comforting.
Garlic Crisps Shrimp & Scrambled Eggs
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPEIngredients
- 1 whole head of garlic (peeled)
- 6 eggs
- 30 frozen shrimp
- 1 tbsp milk
- 100 ml olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Spring onion (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Finely chop the garlic into tiny pieces using a food chopper or grinder.
- Place the chopped garlic in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it thoroughly under running water, stirring constantly. Garlic contains a sticky compound that can taste bitter, so rinsing helps wash it away.
- Drain the garlic well and dry it thoroughly. Lay a few layers of kitchen paper towels on your counter and spread the garlic evenly over them. Cover with another few layers of paper towels.
- Gently press down on the paper towels to absorb as much moisture from the garlic as possible.
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a cold pan.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the oil just starts to bubble. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Let the garlic gently cook in the oil for about 10 minutes, or until it turns light golden yellow. Stir occasionally to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Remove the garlic from the pan as soon as it reaches a light golden color. The residual heat will continue cooking it, so don’t wait until it becomes dark.
- Drain the crispy garlic through a fine-mesh colander or sieve. Set the garlic crisp and garlic infused oil aside.
- Whisk the eggs together with the milk and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Using the same pan, sear the shrimp in the garlic-infused oil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute, or until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add a little more garlic oil if needed.
- Add the shrimp to the beaten eggs and pour the mixture into the pan. Let it sit for a few seconds until the edges begin to set. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, gently push the eggs from the edges toward the center. Continue moving the eggs slowly until they form soft, fluffy curds.
- Remove the pan from the heat just before the eggs look completely cooked. The surface should still look slightly wet. The residual heat from the pan will finish cooking the eggs.
- Spoon the scrambled eggs and shrimp over a bed of warm rice. Sprinkle generously with the crispy garlic, drizzle with the garlic-infused oil, and finish with some sliced spring onion.
- Serve warm and enjoy!