Egg Foo Yung

This has always been one of our favorite dishes to order at Chinese restaurants, but for some reason I assumed it would be too difficult for me to make at home. Boy, was I wrong. It’s simple to fix, easily lends itself to the low-sodium style of cooking, and is super tasty.

I’ve been using a recipe from one of the Cooking Forum members, adjusting the ingredients and quantities to make it low-sodium friendly. One really great thing about the recipe is that I’m able to modify it to suit my tastes and/or what I’ve got on hand. So far, I’ve made all-vegetable omelet patties, but I’m certain chicken, pork or shrimp foo yung would be great too.  Of course, be sure to use chicken or pork that hasn’t been “enhanced” with a saline solution. And, if possible, find fresh shrimp that hasn’t been “enhanced” either.

Essential vegetables include bean sprouts, onions, green onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. But I’ve also used julienned bamboo shoots, sliced baby corn, sliced baby bok choy, and even thinly sliced cabbage. Not all at the same time, though! Too many vegetables might result in a weakened omelet structure. The eggs provide stability. Also, be sure to stir fry the vegetables a bit before combining with the beaten eggs. This will make them more pliable in addition to removing some of their excess water.

Actually, the hardest part about the recipe is getting all the vegetables chopped or sliced ahead of time. Once that’s done, everything comes together quickly. Also, be sure all the vegetable are dry before starting the cooking. For what it’s worth, I did not deep fry the omelet patties in a wok. I poured about a 1/4 inch layer of oil in a skillet, and that worked fine for me. I fried 2 patties at a time and drained them on paper towels before serving. I also added a generous grind of white pepper to the eggs.

When I asked my husband how he liked the egg foo yung, he replied,"You should make this once a week." I'd call that a ringing endorsement!

EGG FOO YUNG 
(Printable Recipe)

Adapted from Madame Wong's Long Life Chinese Cookbook via Doucanoe from Cooking Forum

1/2 lb. fresh peeled and deveined shrimp cut into small pieces (or thinly sliced chicken or pork)
5 eggs

1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp. oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1scallion (green onion), thinly sliced
4 water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup fresh bean sprouts

White pepper
2 cups oil for deep frying

Dry shrimp, chicken, or pork.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Add soy sauce and generous grind of white pepper. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in wok to 350F. Stir fry onion, scallion, and water chestnuts 1 minute. Add mushrooms and bean sprouts and stir fry 1 minute more. Remove to plate or bowl.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in wok to 400F. Stir fry shrimp, chicken or pork until just cooked through; do not overcook. Let cool.

Add all ingredients to egg mixture. Heat 2 cups oil in wok to 400F. Gently ladle 1/4 of egg mixture into wok. Deep fry until golden brown on one side, turn over, and deep fry other side until brown. (I pour about a 1/4 inch layer of oil in a skillet and fry 2 patties at a time, draining on paper towels before serving.) Remove patty to paper towel lined platter to drain and keep warm while frying the other 3 patties. Serve with sauce.

Sauce:

1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 -3 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. water

2 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
(I also add a bit of ginger)

Bring stock to a boil, add soy sauce. Thicken with dissolved cornstarch. Ladle sauce on omelet patties and garnish with sliced scallions.