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The Fish Omelettes My Dad's Made 100,000 Times

魚肉煎蛋
Prep: 15 minCook: 15 minTotal: 30 minServes: 4

Ingredients

7 ozboneless fish fillets
5 eggs
2 tbspoil
2 piecegreen onion
Seasoning for Eggs
0.50 tspsalt
0.25 tspwhite pepper
Seasoning for Fish
0.25 tspsalt
1 tspcornstarch
0.25 tspwhite pepper

Instructions

1
Cut fish

We'll cut our fish fillets (7 oz) into 6-7 sections.

Then, cut each section into 1-1.5 inch strips. Cutting with the grain will help the fish stay together when cooking, while cutting against the grain will result in more fragile pieces that may fall apart. It's up to you which what you'd like to cut.

2
Season fish

We'll place the fish into a bowl and season the fish with white pepper (0.25 tsp), cornstarch (1 tsp), and salt (0.25 tsp). Mix it evenly with chopsticks until the flavors are distributed around the fish.

3
Prep green onions and eggs

Next, we'll chop our green onions (2 piece) into small pieces.

Then, we'll crack our eggs into a bowl, add salt (0.50 tsp) and white pepper (0.25 tsp), and beat the eggs with chopsticks/fork.

4
Cook fish

We'll set our stove to high heat and pour boiling water into the pan.

Add the fish to the pan. We'll let the fish cook for about 1.5 to 2 minutes, gently moving the fish around as we go.

Using boiling water allows the cornstarch to trap the fish's juices inside, resulting in a more tender bite.

Once the fish has turned into more of a white color, we'll drain the pan into a colander.

Dry off the pan with a paper towel.

5
Heat pan & oil

Next, we'll be heating up our pan for about 2-3 minutes on high heat.

Once hot enough, we'll add oil (1 tbsp) to the pan. Tilt and turn the pan to spread the oil around.

A good sign that both our pan and oil are hot enough is if the oil starts shimmering, or forming ripples across the surface.

6
Start cooking omelette

Turn the stove down to medium heat.

We'll start pouring SOME of the egg mixture into the pan. (Not all). The eggs should immediately sizzle after being poured into the pan. Let it rest and cook for about 15-30 seconds before adding the fish.

Once the egg has partially cooked, we'll add our fish on top of the egg and distribute the fish around the pan.

Combine the green onions with the rest of the egg mixture, beat the eggs a few times, and then pour the rest of the mixture into the pan.

Like with most omelettes, notice that my dad is barely stirring or touching the eggs. Occasionally, we'll dig our spatula between the pan and egg to prevent the egg from sticking to the pan.

Halfway through, we'll also want to add oil (0.50 tbsp) to the perimeter of the omelette to seep down between the pan and eggs, and so that the eggs continue to form a nice golden brown exterior.

In total, after pouring the rest of the eggs into pan, let it cook on this side for about 3-4 minutes before flipping. A good visual cue is for the eggs to show nice golden brown.

7
Flip omelette

To flip the omelette, we'll carefully transfer the omelette onto a large plate. Add oil (0.50 tbsp) to the pan. Then, in a quick motion, we'll flip the omelette upside down back onto the pan.

This is easier to do if you have fewer eggs and fillings.

While it cooks, you can add a touch more oil around the perimeter to help the egg separate from the pan and brown.

In total, after flipping, we'll be cooking the omelette on this side for about 3-5 minutes until the bottom has turned a nice golden brown.

We'll occasionally press the omelette into the pan with the bottom of our spatula to help any bumps and crevices make contact with the pan.

8
Transfer to a plate

To transfer the omelette onto a plate, we'll be using gravity.

Cover the pan with a plate, and then flip the pan upside down onto the plate. The egg should fall nicely onto the plate, which we can then cut up and serve to our loved ones.

Recipe by Daddy Lau · 2× James Beard Award Winner · madewithlau.com
Fish Omelettes (魚肉煎蛋)

The Fish Omelettes My Dad's Made 100,000 Times

魚肉煎蛋
▶ 247K views on YouTube
👍 5.2K likes
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
Daddy Lau
By Daddy Lau · 2x James Beard Awards · 60+ years
Published Jul 2021 · Updated Nov 2024

Why this recipe

The story
Fish Omelettes (魚肉煎蛋) — Daddy Lau
Daddy Lau

Most fish omelettes recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.

I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 247K views, 5.2K likes on YouTube.

My dad seems to have hundreds of recipes involving eggs, and this is yet another recipe that's extremely delicious, healthy, and easy to make! Perfect for easy weeknight meals :)

Pairs well with

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6 min

Scrambled Eggs (炒雞蛋)

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Easy Pan Fried Chicken Breast (煎雞胸)
20 min

Easy Pan Fried Chicken Breast (煎雞胸)

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Dad's 10-Minute Weeknight Broccoli (平日西蘭花)
10 min

Dad's 10-Minute Weeknight Broccoli (平日西蘭花)

View recipe →

Ingredients

Serves4
Understanding Flavor
FUNDAMENTALS
Understanding Flavor
Dive Deeper →
Main Ingredients
7 ozboneless fish fillets
5 eggs
2 tbspoil
2 piecegreen onion
Seasoning for Eggs
0.50 tspsalt
0.25 tspwhite pepper
Seasoning for Fish
0.25 tspsalt
1 tspcornstarch
0.25 tspwhite pepper

What type of fish to use?

My dad is using swai fish here, but the recipe works with many different types of fish, shrimp, and other seafood. You can also make this with oysters, which is a very popular Hokkien and Teochew dish in restaurants and night markets throughout Southeast Asia.

Also known as basa or panga, swai is a popular type of catfish also native to Southeast Asia. As with all types of meat and seafood, if you have the means and ability, it's helpful to consider buying from sustainable sources. The Monterey Bay Aquarium manages a really helpful service called "Seafood Watch", which gives us consumers a bunch of recommendations on making our purchases in a more environmentally friendly way.

Finding Asian Ingredients

Some of these ingredients are hard to find in a typical grocery store.

If you don't live near an Asian market, most or all of what my dad uses in this recipe can be found on Amazon:​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

  • Kadoya Sesame Oil​ - https://amzn.to/3c7EOTu​
  • Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce​
  • Michiu Rice Cooking Wine​
  • Pearl River Bridge Superior Light Soy Sauce​
  • Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark Soy Sauce​
  • Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil​
  • Koon Chun Hoisin Sauce​
  • Shaoxing Cooking Wine​
  • Bullhead Shacha (BBQ Sauce)​
  • Dried Orange Peels​
  • Koon Chun Ground Bean Sauce​
  • Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (soak for 15-20 minutes in warm water before slicing)
  • Dried Wood Ear Fungus (a few options, depending on what's in stock):
    • https://amzn.to/3cHYFc1
    • https://amzn.to/36jgm0o​
    • https://amzn.to/36vx1OH​

These links are affiliate links, which means that if you use our links to purchase these ingredients, Amazon pays my family a small amount for the sale - at no extra cost to you. If you use these links, we really appreciate the support!

Instructions

8 steps · click any step to scrub ↑
1

Cut fish

scroll to play this step

We'll cut our fish fillets (7 oz) into 6-7 sections.

Then, cut each section into 1-1.5 inch strips. Cutting with the grain will help the fish stay together when cooking, while cutting against the grain will result in more fragile pieces that may fall apart. It's up to you which what you'd like to cut.

The 10 Essential Cutting Techniques
LESSON 3.3
The 10 Essential Cutting Techniques
Dive Deeper →
2

Season fish

scroll to play this step

We'll place the fish into a bowl and season the fish with white pepper (0.25 tsp), cornstarch (1 tsp), and salt (0.25 tsp). Mix it evenly with chopsticks until the flavors are distributed around the fish.

3

Prep green onions and eggs

scroll to play this step

Next, we'll chop our green onions (2 piece) into small pieces.

Then, we'll crack our eggs into a bowl, add salt (0.50 tsp) and white pepper (0.25 tsp), and beat the eggs with chopsticks/fork.

4

Cook fish

scroll to play this step

We'll set our stove to high heat and pour boiling water into the pan.

Add the fish to the pan. We'll let the fish cook for about 1.5 to 2 minutes, gently moving the fish around as we go.

Using boiling water allows the cornstarch to trap the fish's juices inside, resulting in a more tender bite.

Once the fish has turned into more of a white color, we'll drain the pan into a colander.

Dry off the pan with a paper towel.

5

Heat pan & oil

scroll to play this step

Next, we'll be heating up our pan for about 2-3 minutes on high heat.

Once hot enough, we'll add oil (1 tbsp) to the pan. Tilt and turn the pan to spread the oil around.

A good sign that both our pan and oil are hot enough is if the oil starts shimmering, or forming ripples across the surface.

6

Start cooking omelette

scroll to play this step

Turn the stove down to medium heat.

We'll start pouring SOME of the egg mixture into the pan. (Not all). The eggs should immediately sizzle after being poured into the pan. Let it rest and cook for about 15-30 seconds before adding the fish.

Once the egg has partially cooked, we'll add our fish on top of the egg and distribute the fish around the pan.

Combine the green onions with the rest of the egg mixture, beat the eggs a few times, and then pour the rest of the mixture into the pan.

Like with most omelettes, notice that my dad is barely stirring or touching the eggs. Occasionally, we'll dig our spatula between the pan and egg to prevent the egg from sticking to the pan.

Halfway through, we'll also want to add oil (0.50 tbsp) to the perimeter of the omelette to seep down between the pan and eggs, and so that the eggs continue to form a nice golden brown exterior.

In total, after pouring the rest of the eggs into pan, let it cook on this side for about 3-4 minutes before flipping. A good visual cue is for the eggs to show nice golden brown.

7

Flip omelette

scroll to play this step

To flip the omelette, we'll carefully transfer the omelette onto a large plate. Add oil (0.50 tbsp) to the pan. Then, in a quick motion, we'll flip the omelette upside down back onto the pan.

This is easier to do if you have fewer eggs and fillings.

While it cooks, you can add a touch more oil around the perimeter to help the egg separate from the pan and brown.

In total, after flipping, we'll be cooking the omelette on this side for about 3-5 minutes until the bottom has turned a nice golden brown.

We'll occasionally press the omelette into the pan with the bottom of our spatula to help any bumps and crevices make contact with the pan.

8

Transfer to a plate

scroll to play this step

To transfer the omelette onto a plate, we'll be using gravity.

Cover the pan with a plate, and then flip the pan upside down onto the plate. The egg should fall nicely onto the plate, which we can then cut up and serve to our loved ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Made with love ❤️

The Lau Family

We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.

Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.

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A family-run Cantonese cooking project from Daddy Lau, Randy Lau, and a small team in the Bay Area.

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