To me, food is as much about the moment, the occasion, the location and the company as it is about the taste … Check This Amazing Recipe: Braised egg dumplings in chilli broth

How to Make Braised egg dumplings in chilli broth

Preparation time:

30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time:

30 mins to 1 hour

Serves:

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the dumplings

• 4 free-range eggs
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the filling

• 1 garlic
• 1 spring onion
• 1 carrot
• handful shiitake mushrooms
• handful kale, cabbage
• 100g/3½oz minced
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp salt and pinch black pepper

For the broth

• 1 tsp chilli paste
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• dash dark soy sauce
• 300ml/10fl oz chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 1 spring onion
• 2 tsp cornflour

To serve

• 1 large red chilli
• steamed jasmine rice

Method

1. To make the dumplings, beat the eggs with the salt and sesame oil. Set aside.

2. To make the filling, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

3. To make the broth, combine the chilli paste, oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces and stock in a seperate bowl and set aside.

4. To cook the dumplings, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour 1–2 tablespoons of the beaten egg into the pan and try to keep it in one spot with a spatula to create a mini omelette. Reduce the heat to low so the egg doesn’t cook too quickly. Spoon a teaspoon of the filling into the centre of the egg, then fold the egg over. Press the sides of the semicircle down so the egg seals around the filling. Remove to a plate and repeat until all the egg and filling has been used up. Set aside.

5. To finish the chilli broth, heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan, clay pot or small casserole dish over a medium heat. Fry the sliced ginger and the white parts of the spring onion until the ginger turns golden brown. Pour the chilli broth mixture into the pan and bring to the boil. Mix the cornflour with 2 teaspoons of water to make a paste, then add 3 teaspoons of it to the sauce. Stir in and boil for another minute.

6. Turn the heat down to a simmer and place the egg dumplings carefully into the sauce. Simmer for 8–10 minutes without moving the dumplings too much as they can be delicate. Garnish with the red chilli and green parts of the spring onion. Serve with freshly cooked jasmine rice.