Hainanese-style Kaya toast and half-boiled egg

Kaya toast is a popular breakfast dish served in kopitiams (coffee shops) all over Penang. In many of the kopitiams the Hainanese bread used in the dish is made inhouse, traditionally toasted by hand over charcoal to add a lovely smoky flavour to the bread. A slice of cold butter balances the sweet-salty taste of the toast.

Hainanese-style Kaya toast and half-boiled egg Credit: Georgia Gold

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• light soy sauce, to taste
• ground white pepper
• 8 slices soft white bread/ Hainanese bread, crusts removed
• Hainanese kaya (Caramel coconut jam), for spreading
• 4 thin slices salted butter
• black coffee, to serve

Instructions

1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then remove from the heat. Using a spoon, lower the eggs into the water, then cover with a lid and let the residual heat gently cook the eggs for 7 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water, then gently crack each egg into a small bowl, scooping out any remaining egg white clinging to the shell. Add a few drops of soy sauce and a dash of ground white pepper.
2. Grill the bread in a hot frying pan or under a hot oven grill until well toasted on both sides. Spread a nice layer of kaya over each slice, and arrange the cold butter on half the toast slices. Top with the remaining slices, kaya side down, and cut in half.
3. Serve the warm toast with the half-boiled eggs and black coffee. Dip the toast into the egg for the best experience!

 

Penang Local by Aim Aris and Ahmad Salim, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Georgia Gold. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.