I know that Egg Foo Young is not a true Chinese dish. We order it from time to time in Chinese restaurants but more often then not it comes out greasy from being cooked in the deep-fryer or in too much oil and the gravy is not good. We make our own at home and it is really easy to make. It is essentially an omelet so it can be eaten any time of the day. We just made it last night in fact and had an early supper served with steamed Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with oyster sauce.
Just a side note to talk about Gai Lan. I have included a recipe for that as well. This is the way it would be served in a Dim Sum restaurant. Three things you need to be careful of:
- Use the best Oyster sauce you can find. We like Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce.
- You can easily over-cook Gai Lan. It should be crisp tender not mushy.
- If you serve it wet the sauce will run right off. Try to get as much water off it as you can after cooking.
Author: Jim Kirkley
Serves: 4 |
Egg Foo Young |
INGREDIENTS
Egg Foo Young
6 eggs
1 can, mushroom pieces – drained
2 cups, bean sprouts
1 medium, yellow onion – coarsely chopped
4 scallions – chopped
2 tablespoons, dry sherry
2 tablespoons, soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon, white pepper
2 tablespoons, peanut oil
Gravy
1 cup, chicken broth
2 tablespoons, soy sauce
2 tablespoons, dry sherry
2 teaspoons, sesame oil
1 teaspoon, white pepper
2 tablespoons, cornstarch
4 tablespoons, Chicken broth
METHOD
- Mix all Egg Foo Young ingredients except oil in a large bowl.In a medium non stick pan, heat about 1/2 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Add about a cup of the mixture pushing it flat into a large pancake. Fry until egg solidifies. Turn over for about a minute.
- Keep each patty warm in oven
- When all patties are done, prepare gravy
- In a small saucepan, bring chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and white pepper to a gentle boil
- In a small bowl blend cornstarch and chicken broth, add to boiling liquid, stirring constantly and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes
- Serve over hot Egg Foo Young
Author: Jim Kirkley
Serves: 4 |
Gai-Lan (Chinese Broccoli) Recipe |
INGREDIENTS
Gai Lan
1 lb, gai lan
2 teaspoons, salt
1 teaspoon, baking soda – baking soda makes it greener
1 garlic clove – sliced
1 inch, fresh ginger – peeled
2 teaspoons, toasted sesame seeds
Sauce
3 tablespoons, oyster sauce
1 teaspoon, sesame oil
METHOD
- Gai Lan: Rinse gai lan and trim the end of the stems. Peel the larger stems with a carrot peeler Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauce: Mix oyster sauce with toasted sesame oil in a small saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat.
- Bring eight cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan or stock pot. Stir in salt, baking soda, garlic and ginger. Add gai-lan. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes, until the gai lan turns bright green and is tender-crisp. Careful, you can easily over-cook it.
- Drain in a colander and shake to remove as much water as you can. Serve drizzled with the oyster sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Oyster sauces vary in quality and level of salt. We like Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce.