Passport & Plate - Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes (Xihongshi Chao Jidan)
China | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
2 Tomatoes [Choose vibrant, firm tomatoes (not green or overripe) for optimal flavor.]
3 Eggs
2 stalks Green Onion
2 cloves Garlic
Pinch of Salt
2 Pinches of Sugar
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (divide into two portions of 2Tbsp and 1Tbsp)
2 tsp soy sauce
optional: 1tsp starch (for chewy and fluffy eggs)
How to prepare this recipe
KEEP IN MIND:
1) This dish must be cooked rapidly on high heat, so it is essential to prepare the ingredients beforehand
2) In China, staple dishes are called "jia chang fan" or "common household cuisine." These are family recipes passed on through generations, and use estimations in cooking. Do not worry about exact measurements and season according to personal taste.
PREPARING THE INGREDIENTS
1. Chop tomatoes into bite-sized wedges
2. Crack 3 eggs in a bowl. Add salt and starch. Beat until yolk is distributed evenly.
3. Slice green onions, divide into 2 servings.
4. Mince garlic. (Hint: crush garlic with flat blade of the knife first for easier peeling and mincing.)
PREPARING THE DISH
[High heat]
1. Heat 2Tbsp of vegetable oil in pan until hot. (Sprinkle water into the pan; if it sizzles, the oil is ready. Approx. 5min.)
2. Add 1 portion of green onions, stir fry until fragrant
[Turn heat to medium-high]
3. Pour in eggs, let sit until edges firm and turn yellow (be patient!)
4. Lift the egg so juices run into the pan, then scramble until firm. Leave large chunks, DO NOT BROWN.
5. Remove eggs and set aside.
[Medium-high heat]
6. Add remaining oil to the pan, heat until hot. (1-2 min)
7. Add garlic and remaining green onions. Stir fry until fragrant. This should sizzle loudly.
(This process is called "bao guo" or "Exploding the Wok." It adds flavor to every dish.)
8. Add tomatoes. Season with salt and sugar (1:2 ratio), sprinkle in soy sauce. Stir fry to spread evenly.
(Continue to stir fry until soft and juices seep out from the tomatoes. Taste-test juice, season accordingly. Continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
[Turn heat on high]
9. Add eggs, stir fry until tomatoes are caramelized (soft flesh, peeling skin) and eggs are of desirable firmness.
10. Serve hot with mantou (steamed bread) or rice.
SEASONING TIPS:
- Sugar does not sweeten, but reduces sourness
- Salt makes the eggs savory
- Soy sauce helps caramelize the tomatoes. (Do not add too much.)
The story behind this recipe
“A che ora mangiamo?” My Italian host-father poked his disheveled, age-dusted curls through the open window, his non-bandaged eye glistening with hunger and curiosity.
On my last day volunteering on an organic farm in rural Tuscany, I prepared a Chinese feast for my host family, complete with my signature dish: scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Golden, warm, savory eggs like clouds of sunshine – with a perfect fluffiness that took dozens of mushy, slimy trials to perfect; nestled in wedges of brilliant red tomato, melt-on-your-tongue soft with a curious taste: tangy tomato, salty soy sauce, and sweet sugar compliment one another in a flavor explosion across the tongue. Of course, there is the ubiquitous hint of garlic and green onion characteristic of Shandong cuisine.
I cooked this dish for every host during my six months of couch-surfing through Europe. It never fails to inspire: how could a dish so simple and seemingly mundane contain such complex and exotic flavor? As I listen to the sizzle of caramelizing tomatoes, it takes me back to strumming an out-of-tune guitar in a graffiti-covered hostel in Portugal; sipping coffee in a tiny, sun-soaked kitchen in Vienna; teaching a Moroccan host to use chopsticks in a spacious, modern dining room; clumsily hacking tomatoes with tiny hands while my mother, in an attempt to sooth my homesickness, demonstrated the creation of <i>xi hong shi chao ji dan</i> for the first time in our cold, communal kitchen in San Francisco. Each time I make this dish, I have to improvise with the local ingredients: honey for sugar, chives for green onions, a hodgepodge homemade soy sauce substitute… I watched my world disappear across the Pacific Ocean a decade ago. I have no home, only a heart filled with memories. Scrambled eggs with tomatoes is the way I connect with my identity, and the way I share myself with the world. It is familiar and simple, yet full of flavor and constantly adapting – just like me.
