Eggs in China

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Usually when we talk about Chinese food, we concentrate on ‘Indian Chinese’ recipes that have been changed — and often invented — to suit the Indian palate. This week, however, we will digress from what eminent journalist and foodie Vir Sanghvi calls “Sino Ludhianvi” cuisine and look into some really authentic Chinese recipes.

Instead of the regular fried rice, noodles, chilli chicken etc. we look at some traditional egg recipes.

Soy sauce eggs
In China Thousand Year Eggs are one of those quirky foods they love serving visitors. An egg is buried in a mixture of earth, ash and lime for 100 days. When it is taken out and served, the white is a translucent greenish brownish colour. This recipe is a take-off on that and is served as an appetiser, not a main course

Ingredients
6 large eggs (free range preferred)
1 cup light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 cup water
½ cup brown sugar
A finger length of ginger, sliced

Method
Boil the eggs and leave under cold water. Peel and set aside.
Combine all other ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. After boiling for a minute or so, reduce heat and add the eggs. Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
Take the sauce pan off the heat and let it cool down completely.
While serving, slice each egg in half (it will have a nice brown colour) and drizzle over a couple of spoons of the braising stock.

Chilli Fried eggs with Oyster Sauce
You will know that you have got this dish right when the whites are crispy and the yellow is still runny.

Ingredients
Vegetable oil for deep frying
4 large eggs
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Pinch of ground white pepper
½ cup spring onions, finely sliced
1-2 fresh red chillies, finely sliced

Method
Heat the oil in a wok. When hot, crack the eggs in a bowl and carefully slide them in the oil. Cook on high for a minute, then reduce the heat to medium. The white should be crisp while the yolk is still runny at this point.
Carefully pour out the oil and cook the eggs for another minute without oil.
Gently remove eggs and drizzle with oyster sauce and garnish with pepper, spring onions and chillies. Serve immediately.