Yam khai tom (spicy boiled egg salad)

Drop the eggs into water at a full boil, using enough water that it barely stops boiling, and boil 8 minutes.

Crack the shells all over and peel under cold running water so the water separates shell from egg.

Prepare the herbs: roughly chop cilantro, chop green onions, very thinly slice shallots, add sawtooth coriander, and very finely chop about two inches of the bottom of a lemongrass stalk.

Pound the chilies fine in a small mortar; pick out any large pieces of skin.

In the mortar add 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 2 teaspoons palm sugar; mix until the sugar dissolves and taste for acidity and saltiness now, since it cannot be adjusted after.

Soak dried shrimp in a little water to soften and pound them in the mortar into fluffy shreds (or grind dry in a coffee grinder).

Toss the herbs with the dressing in a salad bowl with tongs.

Cut the eggs in halves or quarters with a knife; yolks should be moist but not too runny for duck eggs.

Scatter some dried shrimp over the eggs, spoon the herb salad and dressing over so it runs to the bottom, and finish with the rest of the shrimp.