When it comes to a tasty meal, Chinese scrambled eggs with salted chilies is my go-to dish that I can enjoy any time of day, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner.
My entire family knows that I subsist primarily on a diet of eggs, rice, and pre-washed spinach from a box throughout the week. This dish has become so regular at my house that I felt compelled to share it on the blog.
We have naturally already distributed it, in the form of a frittata. But after a few failed attempts at making a presentable frittata, I discovered… Not only was I squandering time, but the result tasted nothing like extremely fluffy Chinese-style scrambled eggs prepared lightning quick in a wok or frying pan.
A weeknight savior when you’re short on time but hungry, this recipe was made to be simple. In any case, here are some adjustments you can make using the materials at hand:
All you need are the following:
- Duo jiao + garlic chives
- duo jiao
- Just some chopped scallions, chives, or garlic chives.
Again, if you’re unable to locate garlic chives, feel free to use the following:
- Regular chives: this works amazingly well, adding a subtle onion flavor.
- When using scallions, finer chopping is recommended to avoid having uncooked onion bits that take over the dish’s flavor.
- To prevent the eggs from tasting very strongly, use only 3 tablespoons of ordinary chives or scallions as a substitute. Garlic chives have a more herbaceous flavor than regular chives.
- Like most herbs, using more of them diminishes their appeal.
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs
- 1/3 cup of chopped Chinese garlic chives
- 1/4 cup of Hunan salted chilies (duò jiāo – 剁椒)
- 3 tablespoons of neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper
Instructions:
- The eggs, oil, and pepper should all be combined in a medium bowl. For approximately a minute, or until foamy bubbles form on the egg’s surface, beat it with chopsticks, a fork, or a small whisk. Combine the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry, then whisk it into the eggs.
- Preheat a wok or a nonstick skillet over high heat. Once the pan is heated, add the oil and garlic chives. You don’t want them to be brown, so cook them until they’re wilted but still a vibrant green.
- Carefully add the dual jiao salted chilies without scooping in the liquid, as this can affect the consistency of the fried eggs. The duo jiao should be added to the wok before the chives if you’re using normal chives, which are more delicate and will get burned if added to the hot oil first.
- Add the eggs when the pan is heated again (to the point of steaming). They need to start bubbling right away around the perimeter. Use a wok spatula (or a rubber one if you’re using a nonstick skillet) to stir the eggs in wide scooping motions, folding them in toward the center and sprinkling any raw egg back onto the hot wok surface. Avoid overcooking the eggs by constantly stirring them while you cook them; there’s no need to be precise. Use broad, sweeping motions to create fluffy, monumental pieces.
- As soon as the egg is just set (with some runny parts still present), remove it from the fire and place it on a dish. The eggs will finish cooking from the remaining heat on the way to the table.