Combination omelette

This combination omelette is packed with prawns, chicken and vegetables, all folded into fluffy eggs and served with a rich brown gravy. This comforting classic is a mainstay of Chinese cuisine, offering a delicious mix of flavours and textures.

Combination omelette. Credit: Hardie Grant Books / Alana Dimou

• serves

  2

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Omelette

• 5 prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), plus ¼ tsp extra
• 50 g (1¾ oz) thinly sliced chicken breast
• vegetable oil, for flash-frying
• ¼ small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 spring onion (scallion), finely sliced, to serve

Gravy

• ¼ tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
• 240 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) Chicken stock (homemade or shop-bought)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp potato starch
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) water

Chicken stock (optional, see Note)

• 2 chicken leg quarters
• 4 slices ginger
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, whole
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• 3 litres (101 fl oz/12 cups) water
• 2 tsp YumYum (see Note) or MSG
• 3 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 1½ tsp salt

Allow an extra 2½ hours if making your own chicken stock.

Instructions

1. If making your own chicken stock: Place the chicken, ginger, carrot, onion and peppercorns in a large pot. Pour in the water (topping up if needed so it covers the ingredients) and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2 hours, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface.
2. After 2 hours, stir in the YumYum or MSG, chicken bouillon powder, sugar and salt, allowing the flavours to meld together. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes. Once done, strain the stock, and it’s ready to use (or store in fridge or freezer, see Note. This will make more than you need for this recipe).
3. To begin the combination omelette: In a small bowl, combine the prawns with bicarbonate of soda. Mix to coat evenly and set aside. Repeat the process in another bowl with the chicken. Let both marinate while you prepare the oil.
4. Fill a wok or large pot one-third full with oil and bring it to 190°C (375°F) over a medium–high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken and prawns until they are almost cooked through. Add the onion and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Carefully strain the chicken, prawns and onion from the oil, placing them in a sieve or on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Set aside the leftover oil for future use.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, potato starch and water until the mixture is smooth and well combined. In the same wok or pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture, spreading it evenly across the surface. Cook until the edges begin to set and the bottom becomes golden.
6. Evenly distribute the cooked chicken, prawns and onion mixture over the top of the omelette. Once the egg mixture is almost fully cooked but still slightly runny on top, gently flip the omelette and cook for another 1–2 minutes until fully set. Use a wok ladle or spatula to cut the omelette into three even pieces and set them aside on a serving plate.
7. In the now-empty wok or pan, prepare the gravy by combining the soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, chicken stock, vegetable oil and oyster sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
8. Mix the potato starch and water to create a slurry, then slowly pour it into the sauce while stirring continuously. Cook until the gravy thickens slightly. Pour the gravy over the cooked omelette pieces and serve hot.
   

Note

• The chicken stock can be made in advance and stored ready to use. The recipe makes 3 litres; the extra can be store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Use in soups, sauces and stir-fries.
• Vincent Yeow Lim (aka chef and content creator dimsimlim and also known as the 'Wolf of Wok Street') has his own brand of all-rounder seasoning mix, called YumYum.

This is an edited extract from The Wolf of Wok Street by Vincent Lim (Hardie Grant, HB $45). Photography by Alana Dimou.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.