Eggs Foo Yung

James Beard

Author and Educator

"A Chinese dish which has been pretty thoroughly Americanized and which inspired one of our standard omelette—the western or Denver. Both of these must have originated with the many Chinese chefs who cooked for logging camps and railroad gangs in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."

–James Beard

Yield

6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1/2 cup cut green onions
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
  • 1/2 cup finely cut shrimp or crabmeat
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 6 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup peanut oil

  • Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch blended with 2 tablespoons water
  • Fresh cilantro or chopped parsley

Method

Heat the peanut oil and sauté the chopped vegetables and shrimp or crabmeat lightly. Season with the soy, add the flour, and stir well. Cool slightly and blend with the beaten eggs. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil in a heavy skillet, and cook till brown. Turn as you would hotcakes. Transfer to hot plates, and serve with the sauce.

To make the sauce, combine the broth and soy, and thicken with the cornstarch blended with water. Cook until transparent, and add fresh coriander or parsley.

Note: The crab or shrimp may be replaced by ham, tongue, chicken, duck, or mushrooms, among many choices. You may vary the seasonings as well.

https://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/eggs-foo-yung