Tomato & Egg Stir-Fry

There's a modest little Chinese restaurant in Lille where I always order the same two things: dumplings, and tomato & egg stir-fry.

It's the only place I've found that actually cooks this properly homestyle dish. It's not sexy, it's not meaty, but it's become one of my all-time favorite comfort foods.

It's one of those recipes where my other half walks in expecting nothing special, and ends up licking the plate clean. He genuinely raved about it for days after I first made it at home.

Tomato & Egg Stir-Fry - About the dish

Tomato and egg stir-fry is one of the most beloved home-cooked dishes in Chinese cuisine, the kind of recipe that rarely makes it onto restaurant menus because it's considered too humble, yet it's the first thing many people learn to cook and the one they crave most when they're far from home.

What makes it special is how little it asks of you: a handful of ripe tomatoes, a few eggs, and a hot wok. The magic is entirely in the technique, cooking the eggs and tomatoes separately so each keeps its own texture before they're brought back together into a soft, saucy, deeply savory whole.

Tomato & Egg Stir-Fry - Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

• Tomatoes: use small to medium, ripe ones (about 500g for 2 servings); if they're very juicy, increase the water and cornstarch slightly so the sauce still thickens properly.
• Scallions: use the green parts at the end for freshness.
• Eggs: bring them to room temperature before beating for a fluffier, more tender scramble.
• Garlic: slice it thinly rather than mince it, it infuses the oil gently without burning during the quick stir-fry.
• Salt: I find there's no need for soy sauce here, but do as feels right for you!
• White pepper: stick to white pepper rather than black, it's what gives this dish its distinctly homestyle flavor.
• Shaoxing wine: a Chinese cooking wine that adds depth, but you can skip it.
• Cornstarch slurry: for a saucier version, bump the water up to 1/2 cup and double the cornstarch.

Recipe – Advice & key points

• Wok temperature: preheat until it just starts to smoke before adding the oil and eggs, that heat is what keeps them from sticking.
• Egg texture: pull the eggs off the heat while they're still slightly underdone, they'll finish cooking once folded back into the sauce.
• Garlic timing: add the garlic for only about 20 seconds before the tomatoes go in, any longer and it turns bitter.
• Sauce consistency: adjust the amount of cornstarch slurry to get the thickness you like, more liquid makes it easier to spoon over rice or noodles.
• Bringing the eggs back in: fold them into the sauce only once the tomatoes have softened and thickened slightly, so the eggs stay tender rather than rubbery.
• Finishing touch: turn off the heat before adding the scallions and sesame oil, so their flavor stays bright instead of cooking off.

Serve it hot, straight from the wok, with a bowl of steamed rice underneath to soak up all that saucy goodness.