Egg Plant Omelette - Spanish Filipino Dish / Tapa

This is an urban Filipino dish heavily influenced by its Spanish colonial past and mestizo community.

Choose a medium size eggplant for easier cooking. Use a fork to prick the skin of the eggplant. Make slits lengthwise without cutting through the eggplant. Since the inside of the vegetable is not exposed, you don't have to soak it in salt water as you would normally do.

Steam or microwave whole eggplant till the skin and pulp are soft and tender. Use a masher to flatten the eggplant. Season with a light sprinkle of salt. Coat with either cornstarch or rice flour.

Beat three eggs lightly. Season with pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce and paprika (optional).

Heat up heavy frying pan and coat with a layer of oil and spread to the sides as well.

Pour a thin layer of egg into the frying pan. Quickly spread mashed eggplant and mix with the uncooked flowing egg.

Let it sizzle for 10 seconds. Then add the rest of the egg. Ensure that the heat is set at medium so that the omelette is neither too soft nor burnt.

When you could smell the omelette is cooked on one side, flip over and cook the other side briefly. Turn off the heat. This will ensure that that the omelette is not too dry.

Luffa / Angled Squash / SilkGourd fried with prawn and scrambled eggs

Luffa / Angled Squash / Silk Gourd - 1 or 2
Eggs - 3 large or 4 medium
Prawn - devined and shell removed
Garlic - 2 cloves chopped lightly
Seasoning : soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, rice wine

Preparation

1. Cut all the sharp angled edges of luffa first. Then peel the skin. Ensure that the knife is sharp and steady. Remove the large seeds from the core. Leave the smaller seeds attached to the softer portions. Cut into 2 cm slices.

2. Beat the eggs and add seasoning sauces except rice wine.

3. Wash and drain prawn. Add a dash of cooking rice wine (Shaoxing)

Cooking Method

1. Fry garlic in a TBS of cooking oil till fragrant but before turning brown.

2. Stir fry prawn quickly till it just turns pink.

3. Add luffa slices and cook for a minute when it looks slightly soft.

4. Add beaten egg and keep stirring till well mixed. The water from the vegetables should help to form a saucy consistency.

5. The delicious dish is ready to be served as it is now.

6. If you like to make a soup, add chicken stock and bring to the boil.

Optional : steamed pumpkin wedges can be added to make the soup.

Best cookware for frying eggs - comparison and preferences

Cast iron wok or frying pans are the superior cookware for frying food. Despite it's humble appearance, the cast iron utensils ensure that heat is conducted to the food instantly and produce the best intended results. Best for frying sunny side up. The only issue some may have is that you need to use a bit more oil and heat it up before putting the food in.

I have recently discovered that the Korean marble frying pan which is touted as the cookware for cooking meat and seafood in its own oil and juices, is great for cooking omelette as well.

They are better than teflon coated non-stick pans that yield undercooked results that is lacking in fire or oumph.

European tech sandwich alloy cookware such as Scanpan and Swiss Diamond are good for searing, general frying and stewing. However, they are not very suitable for frying eggs because of the even heat distribution which tends to cause the omelette to stick and break up easily.

My verdict : Korean stone frying pan which costs USD25 produces the best results and is easy to maintain.

Oyster Egg Pancake Chaozhou style - crispy or luak

Or Luak (pronounced : oh luark) is what many overseas Chinese whose ancestors originate in the southern coastal cities pine for. You may be able to get pretty good char kway teow and Hokkien noodles in restaurants all over the world but oyster pancake / omelette that is cooked to perfection are usually disappointing if they do offer this dish on the menu.

The most important criteria of a great tasting or luak pancake must be crispy on the outside. The omelette should be slightly fluffy and chock full of fresh succulent oysters. Never use canned, bottled or dried oysters!

SECRETS

1. Crispy Batter : a mixture of flours with water and coat the oysters evenly.

2. Egg : beat 4 to 6 free range eggs and season with a little salt.

3. Seasoning : pepper, fish sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine.

4. Heat control : Alternate between high, moderate heat when frying the oyster, batter and egg mixture. Flip over and turn on to high heat to scorch the other side of the omelette.

Garnish with cut spring onion and coriander leaves.
Dip into pounded chilli paste made from ground fresh chilli and garlic and mix with vinegar and sugar.

- Copyright Reserved

Festive Dish : Crab Fuyong Egg Omelette (furong xie)

This colorful omelette dish can be served by itself as a centrepiece, or part of a cold dish with assorted dishes of roast meat, spring roll, prawn salad and jellyfish. A favourite for all ages and a must for the lunar new year feasting. It's called by various names, the most commonly used in Southeast Asia being "fuyong hai" meaning hibiscus flower crab omelette, a symbol of peace.

Use freshly peeled steamed crab meat or good quality vacuum packed or frozen crab meat (pincer preferable).

Add to beaten eggs (about 3 - 4 eggs depending on the portion of vegetables and serving.)

Julienne carrots, cooked or canned bamboo shoots, chives, soaked and sliced shitake mushroom, shrimp, glass noodle.

Seasoning : soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, shaoxing wine, fish sauce.

* Adding soaked and trimmed glass noodle (bean vermicelli) would give this dish a more sophisticated texture and presentation. You don't need to use sharksfin for cooking. Glass noodle or Japanese vegetarian yam sharksfin are good substitutes for preparing traditional delicacies without harming sea creatures and the environment.

Fry the vegetables briefly in oil. It should remain crunchy so take it easy.

The secret to cooking egg fuyong is not to overcook the egg. A quick swirl and stir and the dish is ready to be served.

Garnish with coriander leaves, spring onions and bean sprouts (optional).
A delicious dipping sauce to go with the dish would be lime and garlic chilli sauce.

- Copyright Reserved for all recipes and images in this blog