Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
Quick & Easy Chinese (28 page)
This is my variation on egg
foo yong
, which is more of a scramble than a pancake-style dish. The Chinese-American restaurant version is small plump omelets cooked to a handsome, crispy brown and served with Brown Sauce (see page 176).
Foo yong
(beautiful flower) is a reference to the delicate texture and color of eggs scrambled in this way. Enjoy this with rice and other dishes, Chinese-style, or make it part of a luscious brunch or a special occasion breakfast with hash browns and toast.
4 eggs
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
¼ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1
/
3
cup shredded carrots
½ cup shredded napa cabbage or bean sprouts
1
/
3
cup chopped green onion
SERVES
4
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir with a fork to mix everything together well.
Chop the shrimp coarsely, cutting each one into 4 to 6 pieces. (I quarter the plump top portion, and cut the tail crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces.) Set a medium bowl by the stove to hold the shrimp after they are cooked, along with a serving plate for the finished dish.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the salt and stir to mix it into the oil.
Add the carrots and toss to heat them in the oil. Let them cook for about 15 seconds, and then scatter in the shrimp. Toss well, and then cook undisturbed for 30 seconds.
Toss again, and then add the shredded cabbage. Cook, tossing often, until the shrimp are pink and firm and the cabbage has softened a little and brightened in color, about 1 minute. Transfer to the bowl and set aside.
Let the pan heat up again, and then add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil, swirling to coat the pan evenly. Add the eggs and let them cook undisturbed until they begin to set around the edges, about 15 seconds. Begin to scramble them gently, lifting up the cooked edges and pushing them in as you tilt the pan to let uncooked egg reach the hot surface.
When the eggs are partially cooked, add the shrimp mixture with its juices, and begin to scoop and turn gently to combine the shrimp with the eggs and help the eggs cook evenly. Cook, scrambling gently, until the eggs are almost done but still very moist, about 30 seconds.
Add the green onion, scoop and turn a few more times until the eggs are just done, and transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot or warm.
Small, delicate clams such as the Manila variety are ideal for this dish. Rice goes wonderfully with any black bean–sauce dish, since you want to savor every bit of the sauce, but noodles would be a great pairing here as well. Plan to serve these hot as soon as they come out of the pan, and provide a bowl for the shells. Serve a bright-flavored cool accompaniment such as sliced tomatoes and cucumbers from your summer garden, or a simple green salad.
2½ pounds small clams in the shell (about 2½ dozen)
5 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fermented black beans
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
2 tablespooons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
SERVES
4
Using a stiff brush, scrub the clams well under running water. Discard any that stay open when tapped.
In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the water with the black beans, sherry, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar, and stir well. In another small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons water with the cornstarch and sesame oil, and stir to mix well.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and ginger, toss well, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the clams and stir well.
Add the black bean mixture and toss well. Raise the heat to high and cook, tossing occasionally, until most of the clams have opened, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the cornstarch mixture around the sides of the pan, and toss well. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Toss once more and remove from the heat.
Add the cilantro and green onion and toss again. Discard any unopened clams. Scrape clams and sauce onto a large serving platter and serve hot or warm, providing a bowl for the shells.