Egg Foo Yung

Wanted to make an egg dish with the Chinese chives I have in my garden but didn’t want to make the typical Chinese dish of “Scrambled Eggs with Chinese Chives”. After giving this some thoughts, it occurred to me that I have not made Egg Foo Yung in quite a while. The recipe in my cookbook calls for scallion, but why not susbsitute Chinese chives? Great idea!

What is Egg Foo Yung you may ask?

It is a Chinese-American egg omelette closely resembling the Italian frittata without the cheese. Also spelled Egg Foo Young and Egg Fu Rung, it is beaten eggs combined with chopped meat, seafood and vegetables.

I like to make mini ones using egg rings but you can make a single large one and cut into wedges. The smaller ones look cuter and are easier to flip but takes longer to make so it comes down to how much time do you have to put the meal on the table.

Besides substituting Chinese chives for the scallion, I am also substituting asparagus (in season) for the bamboo shoots. What I am trying to say is, use the recipe as a guide and feel free to substitute what is in season and/or available at the moment.

From “My Students’ Favorite Chinese Recipes updated edition” by Norma Chang

Ingredients
¼ pound raw shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped coarsely
2 ounces Chinese roast pork, ham or any cooked meat
4 – 6 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked for at least ½ hour to soften, discard stems, thinly slice or coarsely chop caps
1 cup shredded bamboo shoots asparagus thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger wine
1 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
4 – 5 white part of scallion ¼ – ½ cup chopped Chinese chives
6 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup shredded green part of scallion for garnish
½ cup (about) oil (see NOTE)

Combine the following 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. This is the sauce.
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon regular or gluten free soy sauce
kosher salt to taste
2 – 3 teaspoons cornstarch

Preparations
1. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons oil to preheated wok or frying pan. Add shrimp, stir-fry over high heat until color changes. Add roast pork, mushrooms, bamboo shoots asparagus, ginger wine and salt, stir-fry until asparagus turns a bright green color. Stir in white part of scallion Chinese chives. Remove to a plate. Spread to cool. Up to this point can be done the day before and kept refrigerated.

2. Add cooled shrimp mixture to beaten eggs. Mix well.

3. Heat a large frying pan. Add about ¼ inch of oil (see NOTE). Place as many egg rings in oil as frying pan will accommodate. Turn range to medium to medium high. When oil nears smoking point, pour ¼ cup egg mixture into each ring. Cook until egg is set and nicely browned at the bottom (adjust heat as needed). Remove rings, turn to brown the other side.

4. Remove egg foo yung to a warm serving platter. Repeat cooking as necessary.

5. Stir ingredients in saucepan to incorporate cornstarch, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Spoon over egg foo yung, garnish with green part of scallion. Serve with steamed white or brown rice and a vegetables or salad.

KITCHEN HINT: Lacking egg rings? Pour egg mixture all at once into frying pan (see NOTE) and make one big egg foo yung, cut into wedges, arrange wedges on warmed serving platter.

NOTE: Use less oil (1 – 3 tablespoons to thinly coat cooking surface) if making one big Egg Foo Yung. Once egg mixture is set, cut into ¼’s, if desired, for easier turning.

Copyright © by Norma Chang

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