Egg Foo Yung is a Chinese-American classic, an inexpensive and easily prepared dish.  This version with shrimp is adapted from It’s All American Food by David Rosengarten and used up some small cooked shrimp I had in the freezer.

This recipe will make 4 servings with steamed rice and will take less time to cook than it will take to cook the accompanying rice.  I made a half recipe last night with my set of frittata pans, which made flipping the omelet very easy.

For the sauce

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 tsp. chopped garlic

2 Tbs. thinly sliced scallions

1 cup chicken or pork stock

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. oyster sauce

Pinch Chinese Five-spice powder

4 tsp. cornstarch

2 Tbs. cold water

For the omelets

5 Tbs. vegetable oil (or rendered pork fat)

½ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

¼ cup finely chopped celery

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

4 oz. medium or small shrimp, peeled and cleaned (and cut if medium)

1 cup mung bean sprouts

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. soy sauce

6 eggs lightly, beaten

Start by making the sauce.  In a small saucepan heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.  Cook the garlic and scallions until the scallions are softened.  Add the stock , soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five spice powder and bring to a boil.  In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and cold water.  Stir it into the sauce and cook until thickened.  Check seasoning and keep warm until ready to use.

Start the omelets by cooking in the vegetables.  In a medium skillet heat 1 Tbs. of oil/fat over medium heat.  Add the onion, scallions and celery and cook for a couple of minutes until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the shrimp and cook until just barely cooked through.  Add the bean sprouts and mix together.  Remove half to a bowl and keep it warm.

Mix together in a bowl the sugar, soy sauce, and egg.  Add another Tbs. of oil to the skillet.  Pour half of the egg into the skillet on top of half of the vegetables.  Cook until the bottom side is well set.  Flip the omelet using a set of frittata pans, or slice it out onto a plate, flip it, and put it back in the skillet to cook the other side..  When the omelet is cooked on both sides, put it on a plate to keep warm while cooking the other omelet.

To cook the second omelet put the remaining 2 Tbs. of oil in the skillet over medium heat.  Add the remaining vegetables and the remaining egg.  Cook like the first omelet.

To serve:  on each of 4 plates make a base of cooked rice, top it with half of an omelet and then the top with one-fourth of the sauce.  Serve immediately.