Chinese Chili Oil Eggs (Hong You Bao Dan)

Pour the oil into a small wok or frying pan and set over a high flame, heating until it reaches approximately 180 °C — at this temperature the egg white will billow and blister immediately rather than spreading flat and greasy. The oil is ready when a drop of water flicked in spits and crackles without hesitation.

Break one egg into a small bowl, then slide it gently into the hot oil so you can control its entry and keep the yolk centred. The white will billow and set at the edges within seconds; tilt the pan so the oil pools to one side and baste the white edges continuously with a spoon, drawing hot oil over the sides without touching the yolk, so the top of the white cooks through from above while the yolk beneath stays unset. The white must be fully set and lacy-crisp at the rim while the yolk remains liquid and trembling at its centre.

When the white is opaque and its edges are golden and crisped but the yolk is still visibly runny, lift the egg with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with the second egg, returning the pan to full heat first so the oil is back at temperature before you slide the next egg in.

Immediately drizzle the chili oil with its sediment, the soy sauce, and the dark soy over each egg, doing so while the eggs are still hot so the residual heat blooms the aromatics in the chili oil and the fragrance rises at once. The dark soy adds depth of colour and a faint caramel bitterness that the light soy alone cannot give.

Scatter the spring onion, toasted sesame seeds, and crispy shallots over each egg. Serve at once with steamed rice — the yolk must still be liquid when the dish reaches the table.