The New York Times recipe: spring onion egg wrap

This is a common Chinese-American adaptation of a breakfast dish served throughout northern China and Taiwan. Street vendors start peddling jian bing as the sun rises, spreading a wheat flour and mung bean batter on a large griddle until thin, then cracking an egg or two on top. They scatter on spring onion, coriander and pickled mustard greens, and scramble and spread the mix before squirting on hoisin sauce and chilli paste. Sometimes, they add sliced lettuce or wonton crisps for crunch. Making jian bing is a specialised skill and not easily re-created, but this approximation delivers the pleasure and convenience of an omelet cooked onto a thin pancake, the pancake here being store-bought flour tortillas. When warmed, they share the comforting chewiness of the original. This version uses a few essential condiments: Pickled mustard greens, hoisin and chilli paste can be found in Chinese or Asian markets or online. But you can, of course, leave them out. In fact, kids often prefer just the egg and tortilla.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

Salt flakes

1 (20cm) flour tortilla

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 spring onion, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (about 4 sprigs)

1 tbsp Chinese pickled mustard greens (optional)

Hoisin sauce, chilli paste and sesame seeds, for serving (optional)

Method

Step 1 Beat the eggs and ¼ teaspoon salt with a fork until almost blended with some yellow streaks remaining.

Step 2 Heat a small nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Put the tortilla in it and turn until warm and pliable, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.

Step 3 Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the oil to the pan, then the spring onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until just bright green and tender, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, vigorously stir with a silicone spatula to scramble lightly, then quickly spread in an even layer. Scatter on the coriander and pickled greens, if using, then immediately press the warmed tortilla on top and let cook until the egg just sets and sticks to the tortilla, about 30 seconds. Flip onto a plate, egg facing up.

Step 4 If using, drizzle the hoisin sauce and chilli paste over the egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Fold in quarters and serve immediately or wrap in foil to eat out of hand.

Tip: The egg wrap will stay relatively warm for about 15 minutes when enclosed in foil.

Makes 1 wrap

Total time: 5 minutes

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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