Tomato Eggs Recipe

While it's tempting to throw all the eggs in at once, resist the urge! Batch cooking the eggs in stages ensures soft, full, light, and fluffy curds, preventing lower-volume yield and unevenly cooked eggs. The side walls of the wok are perfect "keep warm" stations for the gently set eggs as you add more egg mixture into the well. Removing the eggs to add back in later prevents tough, overcooked eggs and frees up surface space to blister the tomato skins.

One exception is if you're using a traditional large frying pan instead of a wok. In this case, you have the surface space to cook more at a time. Just be sure to add the tomatoes before the eggs are fully set to keep them from overcooking.

Regardless, never combine the scrambled egg mixture with the tomatoes before cooking. The eggs will get overly thinned out and become mealy white the tomatoes will have a harder time breaking down properly.

• Shaoxing is a lovely rice wine that gives a nice acidity to the eggs for more dimension. It's a common pantry essential for most Chinese kitchens, and buying a bottle of this inexpensive ingredient is a decision you won't regret. However, while it's a popular addition, according to my chef father, it's not absolutely necessary. You can swap in dry cooking sherry or omit it entirely if you don't mind a slightly flatter dish.
• When choosing a sesame oil, opt for a toasted version. I exclusively buy Kadoya, which is consistent, affordable, and slow to rancidity. This ingredient adds fleeting fragrance to every bite when worked into the eggs without adding grease or heaviness. Be careful not to pour too generously, though. Too much can overpower the tomato flavor, which should remain at the forefront.
• Lastly, I recommend white pepper over conventional black pepper for this recipe for several reasons. Not only is it more common in Chinese cuisine than its Western counterpart, but it's much more subtle in recipes and offers a refreshing grassiness.

The simplicity of this dish extends beyond prep and ingredients. The only tools you need are a mixing bowl (or a large glass measuring cup to use as one, for easier pouring and less cleanup!), a measuring spoon, a high-heat safe spatula, and something big to cook it in.

While a wok is traditionally used for this dish, being the predominant form of cookware used in Chinese kitchens, my mom actually always used an oversized skillet at home. While that was because non-commercial woks were less available when I was growing up, there are practical advantages, too. This allows you to cook more eggs at a time, reducing the batching, and also eliminates the need to remove the eggs from the heat as you cook the tomatoes in the middle. However, this does mean loss of sauce due to evaporation over a wider surface.

Regardless, a good wok is invaluable to have on hand, and we've chosen the 9 Best Woks from which to start your search.

While I prefer fresh tomatoes off the vine as they stay firm and separate easily from their skins, any whole conventional tomato in nearly any state of ripeness will do for this dish. In fact, this dish is my go-to when I need to use up fresh tomatoes that have begun to soften. Save money by opting for common Globe slicer or hothouse tomatoes. Their juiciness and thin skins will get you the best flavor and taste.

While expensive, specialty heirloom tomatoes have a delicious, concentrated tomato flavor, they're kind of wasted in this dish. Their flavors are best enjoyed raw and will be diluted by cooking and seasoning. Same with similarly costly Beefsteak tomatoes. Their high water content will cause it to dissolve and make your dish soupy. Whole cherry or grape tomatoes are also not ideal. They're usable but will disappoint due to excessive skin, loss of meatiness, and lack of juiciness. While plum or Roma tomatoes cut into wedges will give you back fleshy substance, they are also drier tomatoes that will yield less sauce.

No matter the type, resist the urge to peel the tomatoes. The skin will come off naturally and you need its pectin to thicken the cooking liquid.

This dish is simple enough to make fresh every time, and the recipe can be easily halved. It's best to eat this right away, especially since eggs toughen with microwaving. However, if you must, you can store the finished dish in a tightly sealed glass container in the refrigerator for about three days before the tomatoes disintegrate too much.

Keep the green scallion garnish separately, in an airtight container, chilled in the fridge.