Gold n Silver Eggs with Spinach

To Y

Once in a month, I will initiate a conversation like this:

I: Hey Y, out of the many dishes that I have cooked, which ones do you like most?

(As you can see, with Y being my only 'customer', it seems only natural to gauge his view regularly to ensure customer satisfaction)

Y (trying to look sincere): I like all of them.

(The safest answer but also the dullest answer.)

I: Ok... but if you can only choose one dish, what would you choose?

Y (thinking seriously): um... (pausing 5 seconds)... Golden prawns (i.e. prawns with salted egg yolks)

I: If you can choose a second dish, what would you choose?

Y (very quickly this time): Gold and silver eggs with spinach...

So there you go, no matter how many new things that you have cooked, and no matter how successful you thought you were in the new ventures, his most favourite dishes remain Golden Prawns and Gold n Silver Eggs with Spinach...

Next time, I think I would ask: 'What's your third favourite dish?'

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1. 250g spinach
2. 2 cloves of garlic
3. 100ml chicken stock/vegetable stock
4. 2 tablespoons groundnut oil
5. 2 salted eggs
6. 1 preserved egg (i.e. Thousand year egg)

Method:

• In a pot with some water, put in the salted eggs and boil for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave them for a further 10 minutes. Drain and shell the eggs.
• Shell the preserved egg. Cut both the salted eggs and the preserved eggs into dices.
• Wash the spinach thoroughly and drain to dry.
• Use a wok and turn on high heat. When it is hot, add the groundnut oil and put in the garlic. Turn the garlic cloves around until they are golden colour. Take the garlic cloves out for a moment.
• There should still some oil in the wok. Add the spinach. Stir fry them quickly until they have almost wilted.
• Add in stock, diced egg yolks and the golden garlic cloves. Taste to season: you may want to add some salt and sugar.
• When it comes to the boil, cook for a further 2 minutes. If you want a thicker sauce, add in a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water, and the sauce will thicken as it boils. Serve.