Egg Foo Yung

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This lacy golden omelette with a filling of ground pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and scallions was originally created as a special occasion dish.

The chefs at Shun Lee West in Manhattan have a great trick for forming egg foo yung: They use a wok ladle to place the egg mixture into the oil so that it sets in the shape of the ladle’s bowl to get that perfect dome shape.

Basically, scrounging around in my fridge, I actually has green bell pepper, bean sprouts, carrots and onions on hand, along with a bunch of eggs, so during this COVID-19 quarantine, the ingredients on hand made for an easy substitution.

Makes 8 Omelettes

INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:

1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1⁄2 inch pieces ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

For the Egg Foo Yung:
1⁄2 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1⁄2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon plus 1 tbsp. sesame oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon canola oil, plus more for frying
6 ounces raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
1⁄2 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped, drained and squeezed dry
1⁄3 cup fresh bean sprouts
1⁄3 cup sliced scallions, plus more for serving
6 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS:

To make the sauce: Bring stock, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, the oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, the garlic, and ginger to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan over high heat. Cook, whisking, until thickened, 2-3 minutes; strain sauce and keep warm.

To make the Egg Foo Yung: Mix pork, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, the vinegar, 1 teaspoon sherry, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl; set aside for 10 minutes. Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture; cook, stirring and breaking up meat, until it is no longer pink, 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a bowl; set aside.

Pour canola oil into a 6-quart saucepan to a depth of 2 inches. Heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°F. Combine remaining soy sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil, plus reserved pork, the shrimp, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, scallions, eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Using a ladle and working in batches, gently lower 1⁄2-cup amounts of egg mixture into oil; cook, flipping once, until omelettes are puffed and brown, 1 1⁄2-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer omelettes to paper towels.

Serve drizzled with reserved sauce; garnish with scallions.

COOK’S NOTES:

For a healthier version of this dish, omit the pork and the shrimp.

A variety of vegetables can be used in the recipe, which can include green bell pepper, julienned carrots, shredded cabbage and mushrooms,

Feel free to substitute a vegetable broth for the chicken broth, in making the sauce.

 

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Lemon Pepper Shrimp

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This is my version of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Lemon Pepper Shrimp. Basically, the dish is a   wok-crisped shrimp stir-fried with celery, bean sprouts, scallions and fresh lemon slices in an aromatic black pepper sauce.

Chefs at P. F. Chang’s  cook most dishes in heavy woks over extremely high heat with sparks flying and flames nipping at their noses. The special stove is designed so that the tall fires work at the back end of the wok, away from the chef. The well-ventilated stove is built with a steady stream of running water nearby to thin sauces and rinse the woks after each dish is prepared. Like most home cooks, I don’t have one of those super efficient  professional stoves at home. So the challenge for me was to tweak this recipe for standard kitchen equipment. Using a regular electric range  and  a large cast iron skillet, I was able to recreate  the dish  in my kitchen.

Another thing to consider is that the sauce is key to this  dish.  The kitchen  staff and line  cooks move extremely fast back in those P.F. Chang’s kitchens. The chefs are well-trained, but they eyeball measurements for sauces with a ladle, so each wok-prepared dish is going to come out a little different each and every time it is made.  Just like home cooking, the and measurements at the restaurant aren’t exactly scientific.

With all that being said,the shrimp is lightly breaded in cornsatarch and flash fried in oil. For best results, strain the shrimp out of the oil, add it back to the pan with the sauce, and you’ve got yourself pretty good dish just as  tasty  as the original!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

For the Shrimp:
1 pound medium raw shrimp (31/40 count), shelled and deveined
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup vegetable oil
4-6 thin lemon slices, each cut into quarters
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 large green onions, sliced  diagonally
2 celery stalks, sliced  diagonally
1 cup bean sprouts

Directions:
Make sauce by heating 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic and ginger in the hot oil for about 15 seconds being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the soy sauce, then dissolve cornstarch in the water and add the mixture to the pan. Add brown sugar, lemon juice and black pepper and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer for two minutes then remove it from the heat.

Coat all the shrimp generously with cornstarch. Let the shrimp sit for about five minutes so that the cornstarch will adhere better.

Heat a cup of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until the shrimp starts to turn light brown. Strain the shrimp out of the oil with a slotted spoon or spider and discard the  oil. Replace shrimp back in the wok along with the lemon slices, saute for a minute, then add the sauce to the pan. Toss everything around to coat the shrimp thoroughly. Cook for another minute or so until the sauce thickens on the shrimp.

As the shrimp cooks, heat up 1 teaspoon of oil in a separate medium saucepan. Cut the green part of the scallions into 3-inch lengths. Add the scallions, celery and bean sprouts to hot oil along with a dash of salt and pepper. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until  the scallions begin to soften.

Remove from the heat and build the dish by adding the stir fried vegetables to a serving plate. Add the shrimp over the vegetables, garnish with scallions and serve.

 

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts

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Inspired by Chinese Cantonese Cuisine, this light and refreshing dish is so easy to prepare. Make sure  that you use fresh bean sprouts, rather than the canned variety, for a crunchy texture. The beauty of this dish is that it can served hot or cold and is perfect for a light lunch or an evening meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups fresh bean sprouts
3 scallions
1 medium red bell pepper
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
A dash of sesame seed oil

Directions:
Using a colander, rinse the bean sprouts in cold water, discarding any husks or small pieces that float to the top. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Slice the scallions on the diagonal in short sections. Core the red bell pepper, removing the seeds and cut the red bell pepper into thin strips.

Heat the oil in a preheated wok or large saute pan. Add the bean sprouts, scallions and red bell pepper. Stir fry for about 2 minutes

Add the sugar, salt, soy sauce and sesame seed oil to the vegetables. Stir well to blend. Serve hot or cold.

Cook’s Notes:
As a variation, you can use thinly sliced red chili peppers with the seeds removed, to give will give this dish a spicy bite. You can also leave the seeds in for an even more hotter taste.