Planet Veggie

This recipe, from Leith’s Vegetarian Bible, was so amazingly nice that, after eating it, I didn’t want to eat anything else ever.  I just wanted to eat this every day.  I don’t eat a lot of eggs; they have a bit of a squeamish factor for me as they’re a bit too close to an animal for my liking, but I eat them occasionally for a change.  And I’m very glad I made this.  Gorgeous.

Ingredients (serves 2)

4 eggs
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tablespoon water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
110g/4oz French beans
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 small carrot, very finely shredded
55g/2oz beansprouts
1 stalk of lemongrass, outer leaves removed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon soft light brown sugar
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice or white wine vinegar
15g/½ oz butter
a few sprigs of fresh coriander, to garnish

1. Beat the eggs with the chilli and water in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top and tail the beans and cut them in half.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy frying pan, add the spring onions, carrot, beansprouts and beans and stir-fry for a few minutes.  Add the lemongrass, ginger and garlic and fry for 1 further minute, then stir in the sugar, soy sauce and vinegar.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Melt the butter in a large omelette pan or non-stick frying pan.  When foaming, pour in the eggs.  As the egg sets around the edge of the pan, hold the pan handle and use a palette knife to draw the cooked egg to the middle, while tipping the runny egg to the edge of the the pan.  Repeat once or twice until the omelette is set at the sides and underneath but is still a little runny on top.  Pile the vegetables over half of the omelette.  Fold the other half on top.  Slice in half crossways and serve scattered with coriander.