Eggs are not just for breakfast

The egg dish is fantastic with crab meat instead of the scallops or prawns. Also try it with spinach or, if you wish, asparagus as it will be soon be in season.

SCALLOP, PRAWN AND GARLIC CHIVE SCRAMBLED EGGS

4 eggs

2 tbsp cornflour

sea salt

3 tbsp vegetable oil

8 sea scallops, off the shell

250g peeled medium green king prawns

1cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 bunch of garlic chives, roughly chopped

3 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 spring onions, finely sliced lengthways at an angle

Serves 4

Beat eggs. Dissolve cornflour in enough water so the texture is like that of pouring cream and add to eggs. Mix well and add a pinch of sea salt.

Heat wok and add half the oil. Heat until just smoking, add the scallops and prawns and cook quickly. When half cooked (after about 45 to 60 seconds), add ginger and garlic chives and soften, then remove from the wok and wipe it out.

Return wok to stove, add remaining oil and bring to medium heat. Add egg mix, stir it gently as it starts to set, cook for 5 minutes and then add the seafood mix and fold through. Spoon the egg and seafood mixture on to a serving bowl or 4 individual bowls.

Wipe the wok out and return it to almost smoking. Add shaoxing wine and reduce to a tbsp, add soy and oyster sauce and cook for 1 minute. Pour sauce over egg mix and sprinkle with the spring onions. Serve immediately.

**MORE RECIPES: Ten ways with eggs

BLACK PEPPER AND CHILLI LAMB

250g loin of lamb, sliced thinly

1 tsp potato flour

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tsp soy sauce

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1 long red chilli, cut into rings

1 long green chilli, cut into rings

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp black peppercorns, roasted and coarsely crushed

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp cornflour, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

1/2 bunch coriander leaves

Serves 4 as part of a shared Asian banquet

Marinate lamb slices in potato flour, shaoxing wine and soy sauce for 20 minutes.

Heat wok and when smoking, add half the oil. Add the lamb slices and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to colour, remove lamb from the wok and place wok back on the heat.

Add remaining oil and heat until almost smoking. Stir fry onions, red and green chilli, garlic and black pepper until fragrant. Stir in the lamb with the stock, soy sauce and oyster sauce and cook briefly. Thicken with the cornflour and spoon onto a large plate. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.

HOT TIPS

• The cornflour helps the mixture become silky.

• Make sure you roast the peppercorns before crushing to enhance the flavour.

• If you like your food really spicy, add a teaspoon of crushed chilli flakes to the eggs as well.

• Serve these dishes with rice and boiled Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.

SOMETHING TO DRINK

Chardonnay
These sweet salty flavours call for chardonnay and few regions do that better than Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. The grapefruit-like acidity of Port Phillip Estate Chardonnay ($30) lifts the scallops' sweetness with enough soft, mealy texture for the eggs.

Photography by William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Kirsten Jenkins.