Last week, by way of Bruce Lawson’s tumblr, I learned of the Lion of Gripsholm Castle. In short, it’s a lion that was stuffed by a taxidermist who had never seen a lion. He was only handed the skin.
This recipe is similar. I’ve eated Tomato Eggs a few times, since it’s a common dish in China, but I’d never looked at a recipe. Starting with my vague idea of the ingredients involved, the recipe below is the result of 10 iterations, trying to make each less awful. In the end it’s damn good, but isn’t the lion I was trying to make.
What I Used
- Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
- Eggs
- Pig foot gelatin (yea, I’ll explain below…)
- White onion, as finely diced as you can manage
- Green bell pepper, as finely diced as you can manage
- Garlic, as finely chopped as you can manage
- Green onion, the green part, 1.5 inch pieces
- Cooking fat of your choice (olive oil, butter, and bacon grease are all good choices)
Ok, this pig foot gelatin thing, here’s the deal. I cover a pig’s foot in water in a pressure cooker and let it go for an hour. I use the resulting softened foot in a dish, but that’s another recipe. The reserve liquid makes a great soup base, full of delicious gelatin. If you keep it in a plastic container in the fridge it will solidify into something jiggly, a meaty Jello. I know folks who eat this gelatin on its own in meals. Personally, I just add it to sauces to give them more body.
If you don’t have the sack to render gelatin out of a pig’s foot, go ahead and use chicken stock. But know that everyone will think less of you.
What I Did
- Heat some cooking fat in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and salt. If you like high blood glucose levels add sugar, but caramelizing the vegetables adds a little natural sweetness. Cook until the vegetables start to turn brown.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, stir, and cook for a couple minutes.
- Add the pig foot gelatin. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. If things dry up in the process just add water.
- Move the tomato mixture to a bowl. Clean the nonstick pan out, add a healthy dose of fat, and heat over medium-high.
- Beat the eggs with some salt in a bowl. When the fat is quite hot add the eggs. I would explain how to properly cook the eggs, but this enthusiastic lady demonstrates it perfectly. Watch.
- When the egg is cooked add the tomato sauce and green onion. Stir and let the flavors mix for about 30 seconds. Serve.
While I don’t like giving specific amounts in recipes I think this one could use guidelines. For reference I used 3 eggs, 15 cherry tomatoes, a cup of gelatin, ¼ cup bell pepper and onion each, and 4 cloves of garlic.
No Comments
Nobody has an opinion thus far, do you?
