Chinese takeaway style omelette with a rich soy-based ‘gravy’
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.
The Filling
As eggs are such a versatile ingredient, the filling options for this omelette can easily be adapted. Feel free to add shredded or minced chicken or beef, sliced mushroom, peppers, carrot or courgette.
This recipe contains fresh prawns, broccoli florets, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and bean sprouts. There is a crunch and texture which compliments the rich umami sauce nicely.
Egg Foo Young Sauce
A combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, stock and sesame oil creates a rich salty and slightly sweet sauce full of umami flavour. It takes only a couple of minutes to make and any unused sauce can be kept in the fridge for 1 week.
Toppings
Sliced spring onions, additional chilli and sesame seeds make the perfect topping. For an added touch of luxury, Egg Foo Young can also be garnished similar to a Japanese Okonomiyaki omelette with mayonnaise. Japanese Kewpie has the most delicious flavour. If you don’t have any handy then make a nice substitute by mixing regular mayonnaise with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Egg Foo Young
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
- 2 tsp cornflour mixed into a little water to form a paste
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp Chinese rice vinegar Shaoxing
- 125 ml light chicken stock or homemade chicken stock
- Pinch of sugar
- Dash sesame oil
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil then turn to simmer. Continue to cook at high heat until sauce has thickened and reduced by half. Add a small splash of sesame oil and transfer to a squeezable sauce bottle or bowl and keep warm.
- Combine eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl and beat with a fork. Set aside.
- Slice broccoli florets as thin as possible. This will help them cook faster.
- Using a sharp knife, slice prawns in half horizontally by placing the knife along the spine of the prawn and moving the knife directly across until you have two halves.
- Using a non-stick frying pan, heat some oil and add broccoli. Cook over high heat until a little charred.
- Add another small splash of oil to the pan and add mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for around 1 minute.
- Place prawns into pan and season all the ingredients with a little salt and pepper. Pour over beaten eggs and gently swirl around the pan to coat everything evenly. Cook over medium heat so the bottom doesn’t burn. After 30 seconds scatter with bean sprouts and cover the pan with a lid so the top of the omelette sets.
- When the omelette is cooked through, flip into a half-moon shape and transfer to a plate. Pour over Foo Young sauce and garnish with spring onions and extra bean sprouts.
