Egg Foo Young (芙蓉蛋)

Peel the shrimp (4 oz). Start by pulling off the third segment from the tail. Then, it'll be easy to pull off the back and the tail completely. To peel the rest, hook your finger under the segment next to what you just removed, and pull the shell away. It should come off quite cleanly!

Of course, if your shrimp is pre-peeled, you can skip to de-veining.

Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise, and put into a small bowl of water to rinse off any debris and errant bits of shell. Pull off the veins as you remove the shrimp from the bowl and transfer to a plate to dry off.

Cut the onion (2 oz) into slices, and then cut the onion slices in half so that the strips are not overly long.

Cut the green part of the green onion (2 stalks) into short pieces, about 1 inch long. Dice the whites, and keep them separate from the greens. The greens will go into the egg mixture, and the whites will be for final garnish.

Crack the eggs (4 ) into a bowl, and season with salt (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), and sugar (0.50 tsp). Don't beat the eggs yet; save that for right before they're ready to go into the wok.

Sugar is our secret ingredient for fluffy fluffy eggs! Don't worry, it's not enough to make the eggs taste sweet.

In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce (1 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), dark soy sauce (1 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), water (4 oz), and cornstarch (2 tsp). Stir well to dissolve clumps now to avoid texture problems later.

Separately, mix together cornstarch (1 tbsp) and water (1 tbsp) to create a thickening slurry. This slurry will go into the egg mixture and give the omelette a lot of additional structure.

Turn the heat on to high, and add boiling or hot water (2 cup) to the pot. Once it comes to a boil, add the shrimp and boil for a quick 15-20 seconds. This is enough to cook them about 90% through. Remove the shrimp and set them aside.

Add the bean sprouts (5 oz).

Wait 10 seconds, then add the onions.

Cook them for 30-40 more seconds, then drain the vegetables into a strainer or colander.

Heat the wok on high. While it heats up, beat the seasoned eggs. Add the cornstarch slurry and whip it into the eggs. Add oil (2 tbsp) into the wok and give it a quick swirl to coat. Don't skimp on the oil! In fact, feel free to add a bit more if you think it'll help.

As Daddy Lau says, this omelette is half pan-fried, half deep-fried; so basically, shallow-fried. It's how you get fragrant, golden brown eggs that won't stick to your wok as you cook.

While the oil heats up, add the blanched shrimp and vegetables into the eggs and mix well. Daddy Lau gets in there with his hands to make sure they're incorporated evenly.

Once the egg mixture is ready, pour it straight into the wok. You can gently move the ingredients around so it’s evenly spread out on top, but be careful not to move it too much, as we want the bottom to fry into a beautiful layer of golden brown crust. Letting the bottom fry peacefully, undisturbed, is the best way to prevent stickage.

Let the egg mixture continue frying on high heat for about a minute, at which point the bottom should be golden brown. Then, turn the heat to low. You can carefully rotate (not flip) the egg, which should be a fairly solid piece by now, for even cooking.

After about a minute of pan-frying on low, it should be ready to flip. To flip, push your spatula under the omelette so that it's supporting most of the omelette's weight. Pull it to the side of the wok to create a broader landing spot, and decisively flip it!

Nudge it into place and poke any straggling bits back into the omelette.

Pan-fry on this side for about 3-4 minutes. Again, it's fairly solid and won't need meticulous tending, but you can rotate it every now and then to make sure it cooks evenly, and to make sure it's not sticking. You can also slide it around. Check the bottom occasionally to see if it's turned golden brown yet.

Flip once more when the color looks good, and cook for another 30-40 seconds.

Turn off the heat and plate the omelette.

Pour the sauce into the still-hot wok. Then, turn the heat on to low and continuously stir to avoid lumps. Our family prefers a thinner gravy, so we add water (1 tbsp). You can add however much water you like according to your own preferences.

Once you're happy with the consistency, add sesame oil (1 dash), turn off the heat, and pour the sauce out into a bowl. You can sprinkle the diced green onion whites on the gravy, or the omelette, or both. Enjoy!