Chinese Takeout Egg Foo Young
Chinese takeout egg foo young with deep-fried egg patties and two from-scratch gravies. I tested blanched vs. raw vegetables, seasoned vs. unseasoned, and cornstarch vs. no cornstarch to find the best combination for light, puffy, crispy patties. Includes both a quick cornstarch-based gravy and a traditional old-school roux-based gravy with garlic and scallion-infused oil. Adapted for any home kitchen with standard equipment.
Servings 3 servings
Calories 250kcal
Equipment
- 1 Wok Ladle Hoak style, for shaping patties
- 1 All-Clad Saucepan For gravy
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Ladle For basting patties
Ingredients
Egg Patties
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 3/4 cup bean sprouts rough chopped
- 1/4 cup onion thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp green onion whites
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- vegetable oil for frying
Quick Takeout-Style Gravy
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1/8 tsp MSG
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp mushroom dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
Old-School Roux-Based Gravy
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tsp mushroom dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1/8 tsp MSG
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp green onion whites
- 1 garlic clove smashed
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
Garnish
- green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Quick Gravy
- Add cornstarch, sugar, salt, white pepper, MSG, and chicken broth to a small pot. Whisk until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce.
- Set the pot over medium heat and whisk until all ingredients are combined. When the sauce comes to a simmer, let it thicken for 1-2 minutes until you reach your preferred consistency.
- Remove from heat and whisk in sesame oil. Set the gravy aside.
Make the Old-School Roux-Based Gravy
- In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar, white pepper, and MSG. Whisk until incorporated and set aside.
- In a small pot over medium heat, add neutral oil, green onion whites, and a smashed garlic clove. Saute until the aromatics are well-browned, then remove them from the oil.
- Lower heat to medium-low and add flour to the pot. Whisk the flour into the oil until it reaches a blonde or light brown color and faintly smells of baked bread. Do not rush this step.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth mixture bit by bit while whisking. It will clump up at first, but keep adding liquid slowly and whisking until fully incorporated.
- Raise heat to medium and simmer for several minutes until the gravy coats the back of a spoon. Strain through a mesh strainer to remove any flour clumps, then whisk in sesame oil.
Prepare the Egg Patties
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, salt, chicken bouillon powder, sugar, and white pepper together and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine roughly chopped bean sprouts, sliced onion, and green onion whites. Add the dry seasoning mixture to the vegetables and toss until evenly coated.
- Add eggs, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the vegetable mixture. Gently fold everything together until combined. Do not whisk the eggs smooth.
Fry the Egg Patties
- Heat neutral oil in a large pot to 350°F.
- Using a hoak or deep ladle, scoop about half a cup of the egg mixture. Place the ladle against one side of the pot and slowly raise it away from you, letting the egg gently slide into the oil. Repeat for all 3 patties.
- Fry for 3-5 minutes on the first side while basting the tops with hot oil using a spoon or small ladle. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the patties to a wire rack, smooth-side up, to drain.
Serve
- Place the egg patties on a plate, pour your choice of gravy over them, and garnish with thinly sliced green onions.
Video
Notes
Two Gravy Options. This recipe includes both a quick cornstarch-based gravy and a traditional old-school roux-based gravy. You only need to make one. The quick version takes about 5 minutes. The old-school version takes longer but has a richer, more complex flavor from the garlic and scallion-infused oil.
Why Raw Vegetables? I tested blanched vs. raw vegetables side by side. Blanched vegetables made the patties denser and flatter because of the residual moisture. Raw vegetables produce lighter, puffier patties with a better texture. Most takeout kitchens use raw vegetables for the same reason.
Why Cornstarch in the Batter? I tested patties with and without cornstarch. The cornstarch version was lighter, puffier, and held its crispness much longer when covered in gravy. Without it, the patties were denser and got soggy faster.
Seasoning Timing Matters. Adding seasoning to the egg mixture is fine as long as you fry immediately after mixing. If you let the seasoned mixture sit for 30 minutes or more, the salt pulls water out of the vegetables and makes the batter runny. Mix and fry right away.
Fold, Don't Whisk. Gently fold the eggs into the vegetable mixture. Whisking the eggs until they're smooth and uniform produces flat, dense patties. Folding keeps pockets of egg white and yolk that puff up at different rates during frying.
Oil Foaming Is Normal. Water from the eggs and vegetables causes the frying oil to foam. This is expected and not a problem. Leave extra room in your pot to prevent it from bubbling over.
Vegetable Substitutions. If you can't find bean sprouts, shredded cabbage works well as a substitute. You can also use a combination of both, or really any vegetables you have on hand. This recipe works as a technique and a template.
The St. Paul Sandwich. If you have leftover patties, try a St. Paul sandwich: white bread, mayonnaise, diced onion, dill pickles, lettuce, and an egg foo young patty. It's a regional specialty from St. Louis.
Nutrition
Calories: 250kcal