Kaya Toast with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Method

1. 1

   Whisk the coconut milk, sugar and 3 eggs together in a heatproof bowl; set it over a pot of gently simmering water without the bowl touching the water.

2. 2

   Add the pandan knot and stir slowly and constantly until the mixture thickens into a spreadable jam, 20–25 minutes.

   💡 Kaya scrambles if the water underneath boils hard — keep it at the barest simmer and never stop stirring.

3. 3

   Strain the kaya through a sieve if it's at all lumpy, then let it cool.

4. 4

   Lower the remaining 8 eggs gently into a pot of simmering water and cook exactly 5 minutes for a jammy, barely-set soft boil.

   💡 Shock them briefly in cold water after — it stops the cooking and makes them far easier to crack open.

5. 5

   Toast or griddle the bread on a dry pan until deeply golden, close to charred at the edges.

6. 6

   Spread kaya thickly on one slice, lay the cold butter across the other, and sandwich them together hot so the butter just melts.

7. 7

   Crack the soft-boiled eggs into small bowls, season with soy sauce and white pepper, and dunk the toast fingers straight in.