Kaya Toast with Soft-Boiled Eggs (Singapore Breakfast Set)

Instructions

1. Blend the pandan leaves with the coconut milk until fine, then strain through a sieve, pressing hard to extract the green liquid. Discard the pulp.
2. Whisk the 4 eggs, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl until the sugar mostly dissolves. Whisk in the pandan coconut milk.
3. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, with the base not touching the water. Stir constantly with a spatula for 30 to 40 minutes until the mixture is thick and coats the spatula like custard.
4. Cool the kaya, then spoon it into a clean jar. It thickens further as it chills.
5. Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil, deep enough to cover the eggs. Lower in the 4 cold eggs, cover, switch off the heat and leave for 6 minutes.
6. Move the eggs to a bowl of cool water for 30 seconds, then crack them into small bowls. Add a few drops of dark soy sauce and a pinch of white pepper.
7. Toast the bread until crisp and golden on both sides. Spread 2 tablespoons of kaya on 4 slices, top with a slab of cold butter and close with the other slices. Cut each sandwich in half.
8. Serve the toast right away with the soft eggs and hot coffee.

Tips

• Keep the water below a simmer and stir without stopping. If the kaya looks grainy, whisk it hard or use a stick blender for a few seconds to smooth it.
• For brown kaya, caramelize half the sugar in a dry pan until amber, then add it to the mix. It tastes deeper and a little bitter-sweet.