Two-Way Spinach
A Zhejiang-style dish featuring spinach coated separately in egg-white batter and egg-yolk batter, then deep-fried to create a striking contrast of golden and pale hues. Served with two sauces for a savory, fresh, and sweet-and-sour flavor profile.
Ingredients
Spinach (picked, washed, and evenly coated with flour)
500 g
Eggs (whites and yolks separated into two bowls, each with a pinch of wet starch stirred into a paste)
3
Oil
150 g
Scallion (minced)
to taste
Ginger (minced)
to taste
Sichuan pepper water
to taste
Salt
to taste
MSG
to taste
Sugar and vinegar
to taste
Sesame oil
to taste
Stock
to taste
Dry flour
to taste
Wet starch
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Pick and wash the spinach, coat it evenly with flour, and set aside. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two bowls, add a small amount of wet starch to each, and stir into a smooth paste.
2
Step 2
Heat oil in a wok. Dip half of the flour-coated spinach into the egg-white paste and the other half into the egg-yolk paste. Fry in batches until the surface is crisp, then remove and drain off the oil. Arrange on a plate with the egg-white spinach and the egg-yolk spinach each filling half the plate.
3
Step 3
Leave a little oil in the wok and heat it. Add the minced scallion and ginger, salt, MSG, stock, and Sichuan pepper water. Bring to a boil, thicken with a little starch, drizzle in the sesame oil, and pour this sauce over one side of the plate. In a separate pan, heat a little oil with stock, sugar, and vinegar to balance sweet and sour, bring to a boil, thicken with starch, and pour over the other side of the plate. Serve immediately.
