Chinese Omelette

, from Issue #23. September, 2015
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Chinese Omelette

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

10 free-range eggs
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil for cooking

Filling
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1⁄2 teaspoon chilli flakes or to taste
2 spring onions, green and white parts, finely sliced
350 grams pork mince
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons kecap manis
1⁄4 cup chopped coriander
1⁄2 cup bean sprouts
handful of baby spinach

To serve
extra oyster sauce to serve

METHOD

Filling: Heat the oil in a 28 cm non-stick sauté pan and cook the garlic, chilli, spring onions and pork mince until the meat is lightly coloured, breaking up the mince with the back of a spoon so there are no large pieces. Add the oyster sauce and kecap manis and keep cooking, stirring frequently, over a high heat until all the liquid has evaporated and the meat is a dark golden colour. It will take about 10 minutes for the sauces and pork to caramelize and become sticky. Add the coriander, season and tip into a bowl. Cover to keep warm or reheat if made ahead.

Omelettes: Whisk 5 eggs and half the fish sauce and sesame oil together in a bowl. Heat one tablespoon of peanut oil in the non-stick sauté pan and when hot, tip in the eggs. They will puff up in the hot oil. Gently move the eggs around with a spatula or wooden spoon, lifting the edges to allow the liquid egg to run underneath. When almost set and golden on the bottom, spoon half the pork mixture down one side and top with half the bean sprouts and spinach. Fold over and slide onto a warm serving plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs and filling.

To serve: Cut each omelette in half and drizzle with a little extra oyster sauce. Serve with hot, cooked Asian greens. 

Kecap/Ketjap Manis: (pronounced “ketchup man-iss”) A sweetish, thick soy sauce made with palm sugar and seasoned with star anise and garlic. A popular ingredient for Indonesian cooks; it is used as a condiment or as a substitute for dark soy sauce.