Instructions

1. Place 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon bouillon paste or 1 bouillon cube in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl.
2. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to the saucepan and stir to combine. Taste and add more seasoning as needed: On its own, the sauce should be just a little bit too salty since it needs to flavor the mildly seasoned eggs.
3. While whisking, pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and whisk until fully incorporated and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. You’ll know it’s ready when huge bubbles form across the surface; if it’s still too runny at this point, whisk in an additional teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a teaspoon of water. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl and set aside.
4. If using rice flour, place 3 tablespoons water with 2 teaspoons of the rice flour in a medium bowl and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Add 2 of the large eggs and whisk briefly to blend. The mixture does not need to be super smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of the Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and a few dashes of white pepper. Briefly whisk again to combine. The mixture will be uniformly yellow but does not need to be super smooth.
5. If using, chop 4 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Trim 4 garlic chive stalks and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 tablespoons). Mince 1 small slice peeled ginger until you have about 1/2 teaspoon. Add half of the shrimp, chives, ginger, and 1/4 cup of the mung bean sprouts to the egg mixture and stir to combine.
6. Heat enough neutral oil in a 14-inch flat bottom wok or 10-inch frying pan so that it’s about an inch deep and no more than a quarter of the way up the wok sides (about 2 cups in a wok or 5 cups for a 10-inch pan) over high heat. The depth and surface area of the oil determine how wide and how fluffy your egg patty can get. The oil is ready for frying when a bamboo skewer or wooden chopstick bubbles immediately when inserted. (Hold on to cheap takeout chopsticks for this purpose!)
7. Pour the egg mixture all at once into the center of the wok from a height of about six inches. The egg should dramatically spread out and bubble up into a big patty. If there are stray bits floating in the oil, use a skimmer to gently coax them back into the patty.
8. Fry the egg patty until the edges are brown and firm, about 5 minutes. As it cooks, use a spatula to gently splash oil over the top — this helps the top form a crust and makes it easier to flip. Meanwhile, mix up the second batch of egg mixture in the now-empty bowl with the remaining ingredients.
9. Gently flip the patty with the skimmer and a spatula (if the patty is too floppy, let it fry and firm up some more before trying again). The flipped patty should be bronzed and smooth on the surface — this is the side you’ll serve facing up. Fry for 3 minutes more. Very carefully pour the oil in the pan into a heatproof bowl. Let the patty pan-fry for another minute to “weep” more oil. Pour off the excess oil into the same bowl, then slide the egg patty onto a serving platter.
10. Return the reserved oil to the pan, adding more if needed. Repeat frying the second patty. Top with the foo young sauce and chopped scallions and serve immediately.