A thick egg omelette stuffed with a miscellaneous heaping of greens and either pork, shrimp, or chicken, egg foo young has been a Chinese American staple for centuries. Crisp on the outside with a silky-smooth interior, and dressed with a delectable gravy, this beloved dish has stood the test of time. It’s a regular menu item in many Chinese restaurants across the country.
What Is Egg Foo Young?
Egg foo young is a fried egg omelette dressed with a soy-sauce-based gravy that dates to the nineteenth century.
Unique to Chinese eateries across America, there are many variations of egg foo young. Sometimes it’s deep-fried, other times it’s pan-fried in a shallow layer of oil. The fillings can range as well, but usually include a chopped-up protein paired with a crunchy handful of greens like chicken breast and bean sprouts, or shrimp and celery.
How to Make Egg Foo Young
Step 1
Season the eggs. Scramble some eggs and add flavour. Ingredients like soy sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper, and oyster sauce are perfect for building depth.
Step 2
Add fillings. Mix in a small amount of corn starch to help bind the meat and vegetables to the egg and give it a soft, velvety texture. Fold in the chopped-up meat and vegetables.
Step 3
Fry until crispy. Heat up a wok with a generous layer of oil. Once the oil is shimmering, pour in the egg mixture, cook until the bottom is crisp and crunchy, and then flip to cook the other side.
Egg Foo Young History
In Cantonese, foo young translates to hibiscus egg, a poetic nod to how the egg batter blooms like a flower and solidifies in the wok as it hits the oil. Introduced in the nineteenth century by Chinese immigrants by way of Canton, but popularised in the twentieth century, there isn’t a lot of information for how this dish came to be except for scant newspaper clippings and menu advertisements from the past.
While distinctly Chinese American, egg foo young has its roots in China, where there are variations of the dish throughout the eastern coast. In China, it’s sometimes dotted with preserved radish or oysters (common in Fujian) or char siu pork (typical of Hong Kong).
How to Serve Egg Foo Young
Egg foo young can be served plain, but it’s traditionally dressed with a thick, soy-sauce-based gravy. The gravy can be made with a variety of ingredients like chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and a bit of sugar. Soy sauce is the universal base of it, though, and it is almost always thickened up with a corn starch slurry, which helps the sauce cling onto the omelette. Finish it with a sprinkle of fresh chopped spring onions, which will brighten up the dish.
