Trio Egg Spinach
Difficulty: Easy2
servings10
minutes10
minutesThis dish is adapted from my second cookbook, where you'll find it under the chapter "Soupy Things", titled as "Trio Egg Spinach in Superior Stock". If you're inclined to make that version, the superior stock recipe is also included in the book. Of course, this tastes more luxe with a stock that's been slow-simmered for 8 hours but I don't always have superior stock lying around at home (duhhhh!). For this version (See Notes Below for the modifications), I've made it less soupy, more veg-centric, and used store bought chicken stock. Hey, we pick our battles..
Adapted from "Around the Dining Table - An Asian-Inspired Modern Feast":
"This dish is a sight to behold. Vibrant emerald greens are dotted with bright orange-red goji berries and the translucent brown-black jelly cubes of century egg, swimming amidst swirling clouds of eggs. Sometimes, I top the soup with crispy fried whitebait. If you prefer this as a soupier dish, use a larger amount of stock. If you want to keep this more vegetable-focused, feel free to reduce the stock and seasoning."
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 century egg
1 salted egg
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3–4 cloves garlic, peeled
650 ml superior stock (p 126) or any other stock you prefer
1 Tbsp dried goji berries
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/4–1/2 tsp salt, or to taste Ground white pepper to taste
250 g Chinese round spinach or red amaranth leaves, cleaned and rinsed, roots trimmed
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
Crispy Whitebait, optional
4 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil
4 Tbsp whitebait
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and set aside. Peel and dice the century egg. If the salted egg is uncooked, add it to a pot of boiling water and boil until fully cooked. Leave to cool before peeling and dicing the salted egg.
- In a medium saucepan or claypot, heat the sesame oil over low heat. Add the whole garlic cloves and fry until the sides of the garlic are light golden brown before adding the stock.
- Toss in your goji berries, sugar, salt and white pepper, then let the stock come to a simmer. When it starts to simmer, add your spinach or amaranth leaves and let them wilt in the hot soup. As they cook, add the century egg and salted egg. After about 30 seconds, taste for saltiness and adjust the seasoning as desired. If you intend to top the dish with some crispy fried whitebait, remember that it will add a salty note too.
- Drizzle in the beaten eggs slowly, stirring the soup as you do so. Splash in the Shaoxing wine and switch off the heat immediately.
- Transfer the vegetables and eggs into a dish and ladle over the flavourful broth. Serve piping hot.
- If choosing to top with crispy fried whitebait, prepare the topping before making the dish. Heat about 4 tablespoonfuls of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the whitebait and reduce the heat to low. Fry until evenly golden brown, then set aside to cool on paper towels.
Notes
- For this version I made at home, I used 500ml of storebought chicken stock, and doubled the amount of spinach used. If you want it soupier, feel free to stick to the original measurements.
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