Meat-filled Omelette

Dan Jia

OMELETTE WRAPPERS

3 large eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons plain flour

1tablespoon sesame oil

pinch of salt

groundnut or vegetable oil, for greasing

FILLING

250g minced pork

1tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh root ginger

3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions

1tablespoon light soy sauce

2tablespoons shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

2teaspoons sesame oil

1egg white, beaten

2teaspoons cornflour

1teaspoon roasted ground Sichuan peppercorns

2teaspoon salt

2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

beaten egg, for sealing

SAUCE

2 tablespoons groundnut or vegetable oil

3 tablespoons finely shredded spring onions

4garlic cloves, thinly sliced

25g dried lily buds, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes or until soft, ends removed 15g Chinese dried cloud ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes, rinsed and stems removed.

2 tablespoons shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

1tablespoon light soy sauce

1tablespoon dark soy sauce

2teaspoons sugar

1teaspoon roasted ground Sichuan peppercorns

1teaspoon salt

300 ml(2 pint) chicken stock

2 teaspoons sesame oil

This hearty dish is full of rich flavours and aromas that typify the country cuisine of Sichuan. The omelette wrapping absorbs the juices from both the filling and sauce.

1. For the omelette wrappers, put the beaten eggs, flour, sesame oil and salt into a blender and blend untilit is a smooth batter with no lumps. Strain through a fine sieve.

2. Heat a wok over medium heat until it is hot, then grease the surface with groundnut or vegetable oilon kitchen paper. Put 2 tablespoons of the egg batter in the wok and tilt the wok in all directions to coat the bottom. When the batter has set, carefully peel it off and lay it on a plate. Repeat the process until you have used up all the batter.

3. Mix all the filling ingredients, except the beaten egg for sealing, together in a bowl. Put about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the centre of each omelette. Moisten the edges of each omelette with the beaten egg and fold over one half to seal, to make half-moon-shaped dumplings. Any leftover filling can be used in the sauce.

4. For the sauce, heat a wok over a high heat until it is hot, then add the groundnut or vegetable oil. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, add the spring onions and garlic and stir-fry for 20 seconds, then add the lily buds and cloud ear mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients except the sesame oil. Bring the sauce to the boil and add the dumplings to the sauce. Reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the sesame oil.

5. Turn the dish onto a platter and serve at once, with rice and vegetables for a robust winter meal.

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