Egg Foo Young

1. Make the gravy: in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the beef stock, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce and white pepper and bring to a simmer. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, add to the pan and whisk until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and keep warm on the lowest heat.
2. Make the batter: in a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water until dissolved, then add the eggs, salt and sugar and whisk until smooth with no clumps of white. Add the spring onion, bean sprouts and shrimp and stir to coat evenly.
3. Add the vegetable oil to a large wok, about 2 inches up the sides, and heat over medium-high to 350F. Vigorous bubbles should form around a wooden chopstick.
4. Using a ladle, gently add a quarter of the batter. It should bubble and puff up straight away. Fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side, spooning hot oil over any pale spots. To flip, use a tool in each hand and coax the omelette over gently.
5. Lift onto a paper-towel-lined tray and cool for 5 minutes, then repeat to make 4 omelettes, topping up the oil between batches if needed.
6. Plate each omelette over a bed of rice, spoon over the warm gravy and serve at once.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Get the oil properly hot, around 350F, so the omelette puffs and crisps rather than drinking up grease.
• Spoon hot oil over the top as it fries to set the surface, which makes the flip much less nerve-wracking.
• Make the gravy first and hold it warm. The omelettes are best the moment they leave the oil.
• Go easy on the filling in each one, or it won't hold together when you turn it.