Egg Foo Young

When my husband, David, first asked if I could try a homemade version of his favorite Chinese dish, egg foo young, was a little hesitant.  I didn't know if I could replicate the authentic flavor of a really fine Chinese restaurant.  On the other hand, really good Chinese restaurants are hard to find in our area, so I had little to reference.  After a little reading in my cookbooks and online, I learned how easy this dish is to make.  In its simplest form, egg foo young is just an Asian-style omelette with eggs, vegetables and meat.  Served with hot, steamed rice and an easy homemade soy-based brown sauce I think you'll find that it is superior to what you'll get from the average white takeout box.

Egg foo young is what I call an open refrigerator dinner:  Just open the refrigerator and see what's on hand.  It is a great way to use up leftover meat and it is equally good with chopped chicken, shredded beef, or pulled BBQ pork.  For a vegetarian option, you could also substitute tofu or skip the meat altogether and just use the vegetables.  My add-ins (the meat and vegetables) vary depending on what's available.   Use the recipe as a guideline and add your favorite veggies to the mix; shredded carrots, bamboo shoots, and red peppers are some of the vegetables that I regularly toss in for flavor and color.

Egg Foo Young  (Serves 3-4)

In a large bowl, whisk together: 

• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Stir in:

• 1/4 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts, fresh or canned and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts, drained
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped cooked chicken, beef, or BBQ pork

Heat about a ¼ inch of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Pan fry the egg mixture in the oil, using ¼ cup mixture per patty.  The meat and veggies tend to clump in the middle, so push them around with a spatula to make an even patty.  When the patty starts to brown on the edges (about  60 seconds) flip or fold the patty over and cook the other side.  Serve hot with steamed rice and brown sauce

Brown Sauce

In a medium-sized sauce pan, whisk together:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat over medium heat until the mixture boils.  In a small bowl mix together to create a smooth, thin paste:

• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the soy sauce mixture and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken slightly.  Reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Take off the heat and serve immediately.

 

Comments

[Kitchen Butterfly]

My style....but I didn't know I could make a brown soy sauce - so easy....and yet in perfect harmony.Yum

[Sophie]

MMMMMMMM,..this dish looks apart & so delicious!!

Yummie all the way,...