What Is Egg Foo Young and Where Did It Originate?
Egg Foo Young is a Chinese American fusion omelette recipe normally filled with vegetables, pork or shrimp, then topped with a delicious umami sauce made with soy, rice vinegar and oyster sauce. The recipe is thought to have originally been invented as a way to use up leftover ingredients. It makes a great mid-week dinner or rich unami ‘hangover’ breakfast or brunch on the weekend.
What’s in the Filling?
Eggs are wonderfully versatile, so the filling is easy to adapt. You could add shredded or minced chicken or beef, as well as sliced mushrooms, peppers, carrots or courgettes.This version includes fresh prawns, broccoli florets, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and bean sprouts. The combination of textures provides a satisfying crunch which complements the rich, savoury gravy perfectly.
What Is in the Egg Foo Young Sauce?
A combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, stock, and sesame oil creates a rich, salty, slightly sweet sauce packed with umami flavour. It takes just a few minutes to prepare, and any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.
How to Garnish Egg Foo Young
The perfect finishing touch is added by slicing spring onions, fresh chilli and sesame seeds on top. For an extra indulgent touch, egg foo young can also be drizzled with mayonnaise, similar to Japanese okonomiyaki. Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise is especially rich in flavour. If you don’t have any, you can quickly make a substitute by mixing regular mayonnaise with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
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Chinese Takeaway-Style Egg Foo Young with Soy Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 6 medium green prawns
- 2 – 4 florets of broccoli, depending on how larger they are
- 1 large chestnut mushroom
- Handful thinly sliced Chinese cabbage
- Handful bean sprouts, with a few reserved for garnish
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 heaped tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 green chilli, optional
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- Sesame seeds
Sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy mixed into a little water to form a paste
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 125ml light chicken stock Shaoxing
- 1 tsp sugar or homemade chicken stock
- 1.5 tsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tsp of water
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the chicken stock, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine and sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with a little cold water until smooth. Stir this into the simmering sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes, until thickened and glossy. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and keep warm.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced broccoli and cook until lightly charred.
- Add the mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the prawns, season lightly, and cook until they just begin to turn pink.
- Pour the beaten eggs evenly over the filling and gently swirl the pan to distribute. After about 30 seconds, scatter over the bean sprouts. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook until the omelette is set and golden underneath.
- Fold the omelette in half and transfer to a plate. Spoon over the warm soy gravy and garnish with sliced spring onions, sesame seeds and extra bean sprouts.