Chinese Prawn Omelette

This Chinese-stye prawn omelette (虾仁炒蛋 or 滑蛋虾仁) is my take on making this homely dish. The egg is moist & soft and the prawns (shrimps) are fresh & plump in this one.

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
I’ll tell you un-bashfully why my family thinks (in our very biased opinion :P), that this is the killer recipe for prawn omelette:

  • The scrambled egg is moist, tender and chunky. We don’t like flat and dry egg for this dish.
  • The prawns are luxury-edition. I always use fresh tiger prawns (not frozen ones). They are also kept whole (not diced) so that we can enjoy each juicy prawn on its own.
  • The ingredients are minimum. I use only salt (no baking soda, cornstarch, wine etc) to prep the prawns. Instead of cornstarch to make the egg smooth, I control the heat of the pan to achieve similar results.
See Also:

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe

STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS

The action is fast because timing and heat control are important factors here, so sorry that the photos are not very well-taken. But I hope they give you a clearer idea than words alone to describe the process.

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
Grease a non-stick wokpan with cooking oil using a pastry brush. Heat the pan on low. Pour egg mixture into the wok. The egg will cook immediately only from the edges and bottom of the pan as the heat is low.

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
Using a spatula, push the egg from the edge into the center of the omelette …

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
… and tilt the pan for the uncooked liquid egg to flow underneath (pictured above). Keep doing this from various corners of the omelette.

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
When the egg is semi-set with only the top surface of raw egg as pictured above …

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
… start scrambling the egg by cutting them to large chunks with a spatula as pictured above. I took the pan off the heat now and then (just lift it up a little), to prevent overcooking the egg.

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
When the egg is almost set, add cooked prawns (I cooked and set them aside on a plate earlier) and finish up cooking. The egg should be just set (no more uncooked, raw runny parts), still moist and very soft. Again, timing and heat control are important in this recipe.

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe
Slide the egg from the pan onto a serving plate (it looks most beautiful with the top layer of moist egg). Garnish with chopped spring onions and/or coriander. Enjoy this simple, homely yet luxurious prawn omelette.

Chinese Prawn Omelette Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 8 large prawns (shrimps)
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt to clean the prawns
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp cooking oil divided
  • chopped spring onion &/or coriander for garnishing

(A) Seasonings for Egg Mixture

  • 1/2 tsp mushroom (or chicken) seasoning powder to taste; can substitute with light soy sauce
  • 3 dashes white pepper powder to taste
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • tiny pinch of salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Prep prawns. Shell and de-vein the prawns. Place them in a small bowl with 1/2 tsp fine sea salt. Massage the prawns with the salt for 30 seconds. Rinse the prawns through a slotted sift to wash off all the salt. Pat dry on paper towels and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to cook.
  2. Prepare egg mixture. Crack eggs in a bowl, and beat them well with seasonings (A).
  3. Partially cook the prawns. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick wok pan. When the prawns are just done (do not overcook), set aside on a plate.
  4. Make moist egg. Add remaining oil to the pan, greasing it well with a pastry brush. Heat the pan on low heat. Pour egg mixture to the pan. As the egg set, pull edges with a spatula to draw the mixture from the sides to the centre, letting uncooked egg flow underneath, until the egg is set except for the top surface.
  5. Make prawn omelette. Using a spatula, cut and scramble the egg to large chunks. Return cooked prawns to the pan. Stir-fry quickly until the egg is just set. Take the pan off the heat and slide the contents onto a plate. Garnish with spring onion and/or coriander.