Editor’s Note: In our 2014 fall travel issue, Brooklyn author, blogger and local food supporter Cathy Erway writes about her recent trips to Taiwan, where her mother is originally from, to research a forthcoming cookbook on the food of the region. As she recounts, this dish — which has a bit of salty-sweet crunch from the pan-crisped radishes — was the stand-out at a dinner party in Taipei, and she writes eloquently about preparing it in ramshackle kitchen equipment as her dinner guests watched; it is also the star of our issue’s cover.
Dried radish omelet
Makes 1 omelet, about 4 servings; reprinted with permission from the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt from The Food of Taiwan by Cathy Erway. Copyright 2015.
Note: You can find Tawainese dried radishes at New York Mart and Fei Long Supermarket, both on Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park.
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped dried daikon radish
2 tablespoons vegetable, peanut or canola oil
1. Whisk the eggs with the salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of water.
2. Heat the oil in a large fry pan or wok over medium-high, until the oil is very hot and begins to pop a little. Stir in the chopped dried radish and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring.
3. Pour in the beaten eggs. Scrape the edges that are beginning to cook toward the center of the pan to create ruffles of gently cooked eggs in a tall, round heap. Loosen the edges of the omelet with a spatula.
4. Once eggs are almost thoroughly set on top and the underside of the omelet appears to be golden-brown, carefully flip the entire omelet over. Cook on the opposite side for about 1 minute or until lightly browned. Transfer to a serving dish to serve immediately.
Photo credit: Lauren Volo
