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American Chinese food has long been a favorite subject of food writers, drawing derision as readily as it does spirited defense. I just don’t think it’s very controversial to say that American Chinese food is still Chinese food, because it was created by Chinese cooks. Food evolves quickly in the hands of immigrants, but this doesn’t equate to cultural loss — it simply becomes a new regional cuisine.
Take one of the pillars of American Chinese restaurants: egg foo young, whose invention is usually attributed to immigrants from Guangdong Province. The earliest written mention of the gravy-slicked omelet comes from the 1860s, when it began showing up in Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, but the dish has much older origins.
Once news of the Gold Rush reached Guangdong in the 1850s, Chinese immigrants arrived in northern California and southern Oregon by the thousands. The best-known dish borne of the era’s exploding wealth was the Hangtown Fry, an omelet studded with plump oysters and lardons of bacon, first served at the Cary House Hotel in Placerville, California.
It was the most expensive dish conceivable at the time, seeing as everything had to be shipped in from San Francisco, a two-day journey away. Eggs came at a high price owing to their fragility, and oysters had to stay on ice (an even hotter commodity) if they were to survive the commute. A Hangtown Fry was as bombastic as it was indulgent.
Chicken-rearing would eventually make eggs easier to score in them thar hills, but oysters were so popular with the placer-crusted nouveau riche that San Francisco’s oyster beds had been all but depleted by 1851, driving the demand to more northerly waters. Oregon’s oystermen were happy to oblige.
It doesn’t seem much of a leap to say that the first Hangtown Fry was prepared by a Chinese cook using Oregon oysters.
Any Cantonese cook worth his salt would’ve known his way around a jazzed-up omelet because they were already standard fare where he came from. Oysters were an abundant protein back in coastal Guangdong, and oyster omelets like hao lao and shrimp-studded fuyong dan — known to Americans as egg foo young — were already firmly part of a Gold Rush-era cook’s repertoire.
The main difference between Cantonese fuyong (or furong) dan and American egg foo young seems to be in the amount of fat used for cooking; egg foo young is deep-fried, whereas fuyong dan is pan-fried. Cooking technique isn’t necessarily diagnostic, though, since there are also regional differences in the way oyster omelets are prepared in China. The gravy was added to the American version to counteract the egg-drying effects of deep frying.
Whether you prefer a simpler version (here, with a smattering of spring vegetables and a light sauce) or are feeling flush enough to add fresh Olympia oysters, don’t dismiss egg foo young as cultural dilution — it is just one more example of how centuries-long Chinese cooking heritage forever changed food in the American West. Makes 6 patties
Note: If you’re using dried wood ear or shiitake mushrooms, soak them in hot water for a few minutes to soften them up before using. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and you can add it to the gravy. Fresh water chestnuts are so much nicer than the canned ones (if you can find them), but jicama is a great sub for that crisp texture.
Ingredients
Gravy
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
2 scallions, white parts only, finely sliced (reserve green parts)
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2 healthy pinches white pepper
1 generous pinch MSG
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Omelets
3 or 4 wood ear, shiitake or oyster mushrooms (or a mix), sliced
1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil plus more for frying
1 cup fresh bean sprouts (mung or soy), rinsed
1 cup snap or snow peas, thinly sliced
½ cup canned water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
2 scallions (reserved green parts), thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
A few pinches of white pepper
6 eggs
Sliced scallion and/or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Make the gravy: In a medium saucepan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic, ginger and scallion whites until glossy and translucent, about a minute or two. Add the remaining gravy ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry and whisk until fully combined. Pop the heat up to medium-high, and when it comes to a boil, whisk in the cornstarch slurry in a slow stream. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the gravy has thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside.
- Make the omelets: Heat a small skillet over medium heat and dry-saute the mushrooms, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to its lowest setting (175-200 F). Set a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven.
- Add the cooking oil to a wok or deep pot to a depth of 3 or 4 inches and heat to 335-350 F. Use a thermometer to check!
- Once the oil has come to temp (don’t do this ahead of time!), add the omelet ingredients except for the eggs and garnish to the cooked mushrooms, stirring to evenly coat with the cornstarch. Add the eggs and mix until just combined — don’t overmix or the omelets won’t hold their shape.
- Scoop about ½ cup of the omelet mixture with a ladle and carefully tip it into the hot oil. Be careful not to dip the ladle into the hot oil or the egg might stick to it! You might be able to cook a couple at a time, but don’t overcrowd the wok or the oil temperature will drop. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain that 335-350 F temp.
- Cook until the omelet begins to firm up and the edges begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the omelets and cook on the other side for another minute or two. Remove from the hot oil with a spider (or a slotted spoon and small strainer), shaking off excess oil before transferring to the warm oven. Repeat with remaining batter, then transfer the cooked egg foo young to a serving plate.
- Rewarm the gravy and pour a little over the egg foo young. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and cilantro and serve with steamed rice and extra gravy.