Thai spicy sauce with boiled eggs

This is a very traditional Thai appetizer. The base is a super-spicy sauce, nam prik, made from dried chilies and garlic. The sauce coats the eggs and fresh vegetables, which help tone down the spice. This is a lovely appetizer and pairs well with a cold beer to soothe the palate, especially on a hot Thai evening before a meal.

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Ingredients:

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered longitudinally

5 dried red chilies

1/2 cup water

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 shallots, chopped

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Juice of 1/2 lime

To garnish:

Cucumbers, cut into batons

Carrots, cut into batons

Zucchini, cut into batons

Beets, cut into batons

Celery sticks

Cauliflower, broken into florets

Other vegetables of your choice

Thai basil, torn

Method:

Warm the water and soak the chilies for 20 minutes to soften. Remove and drain.

Add the chilies, garlic, shallots, and salt to a small mortar and pound to a coarse paste. Mix in the pepper, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mix well and taste. The sauce should be pungent and bold. The flavors are spicy and tart, with a pungent fish sauce. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

To serve:

Spread out the spicy sauce onto a platter. Top with the boiled eggs. Arrange 3-4 vegetables around the eggs. Serve immediately at room temperature.