Stir-fried bitter melon with egg

Serves 2

As the name suggests, bitter melon is astringent and it can be an acquired taste. I was seduced by this much-maligned fruit as a kid when my mother cooked a variety called ‘white jade’ in Chinese. It tastes somewhat sweet with a subtle bitter edge, and my mother cooked it with lots of salted black beans and chillies. It’s also wonderful stuffed with meat or shaved thinly in a salad. If you haven’t eaten bitter melon before, select one with a paler colour for this home-style dish; zucchini (courgette) is a great substitute. This dish is also delicious with chopped boiled salted egg tossed through.

1 x 350 g (12 oz) bitter melon

1 teaspoon dried shrimp, soaked in hot water for 20 mintues

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 red Asian shallots, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) chicken stock

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Pinch of sugar

1 egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Wash the bitter melon and trim off the stem. Slice the melon in half lengthways and scoop out the pith and seeds. Thinly slice the melon crossways into 1 cm (½ inch) rounds.

Drain and chop the shrimp. Place a wok over medium–high heat. As soon as it starts to smoke, add the vegetable oil, garlic, shallots and ginger. Fry until fragrant, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the bitter melon. Continue to stir-fry until the melon slices are lightly browned.

Add the chicken stock, soy sauce and sugar, bring to the boil and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg until just scrambled, then serve at once.