by Linda Sang

Here we are in September and all those back-yard chooks are revelling in the increased day length (even if those days not yet reliably warm) and are pumping out large numbers of fabulous fresh eggs. If your poultry has access to fresh green grass, insects and a few worms plus  your delectable kitchen scraps, those eggs will have a deep orange-gold yolks and dense egg whites. So here are a few recipes that celebrate the abundance of wonderful spring eggs.

(adapted from a Kylie Kwong recipe)

Omelette:

5 eggs

2 tablespoons sliced garlic chives

(or ordinary chives)

¼ cup vegetable oil (or less)

¼ cup sliced green shallots

Sauce:

¼ cup peanut oil

1 tablespoon julienned ginger
(or just finely chopped)

1 teaspoon salt

1 large ripe tomato cut into wedges

2 tablespoon shao shing wine

1 tablespoon white sugar

½ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

(or regular)

1 teaspoon black vinegar

(or balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar if necessary)

½ teaspoon sesame oil

Method:

To make the sauce, heat peanut oil in a hot saucepan till it seems to shimmer slightly, then stir-fry ginger, salt and tomato for two minutes. Add wine and sugar and fry for a minute. Pour in stock and soy sauce and simmer for a further two minutes. Add vinegar and sesame oil, then remove from heat. The sauce should be reddish in colour with a salty, sweet flavour. Keep the sauce warm while you make the omelette. (I make double or even four times the quantity of sauce to keep on hand. Use it within a few days, or it can be frozen. It’s great with other things like seafood, chicken or tofu.)

To make the scrambled omelette, heat the oil in a frying pan till the surface shimmers lightly.  Break eggs into a bowl and whisk lightly. Add the chives. Season lightly.

Pour in the egg mixture and scramble quickly, not over-cooking the eggs. Remove from the pan, sliding onto a serving plate or bowl. Pour the warm tomato sauce over the omelette and garnish with the shallots.