Name: St. Paul Sandwich
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 1/2 teaspoon table salt; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic; 2 ounces (1 cup) mung bean sprouts , coarsely chopped; 1 cup chopped onion; 5 ounces ham steak , patted dry and cut into ½-inch pieces; 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying; 4 tablespoons mayonnaise; 8 slices hearty white sandwich bread; 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce; 8 thin tomato slices; 16 dill pickle chips

Why This Recipe Works

Despite its name, the St. Paul sandwich originated in St. Louis, where we watched Rudy Lieu of Fortune Express crank out dozens of the egg foo yong sandwiches to fill lunch orders (read about our visit here). While Lieu deep-fried his egg foo yong in an oil-filled wok for a fluffy, frizzled, sandwich-size patty, we opted to cook ours in ½ cup of oil in a nonstick skillet. Transferring the patties to a paper towel—lined plate after shallow-frying them kept them from being greasy. Iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise made for a sandwich that had a mash-up of salty and tangy flavors and soft yet crispy textures.

Before You Begin

Be sure to pat the ham steak dry with paper towels before adding it to the skillet in step 1; this will keep it from splattering as it cooks.

Instructions

Beat eggs, salt, white pepper, and granulated garlic together in medium bowl. Stir in bean sprouts, onion, and ham until thoroughly combined.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Using ½-cup dry measuring cup, portion 4 evenly spaced scoops of egg mixture in skillet. (Eggs may run together; this is OK.) Cover and cook, without stirring, until bottoms of egg foo yong patties are browned and tops are set, about 5 minutes.

Using spatula, cut and separate egg foo yong patties in skillet. Flip each patty and continue to cook, covered, until browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer egg foo yong patties to paper towel—lined plate and let drain for 1 minute.

Spread mayonnaise on 1 side of each piece of bread. Top each of 4 slices of bread with ½ cup lettuce, 1 egg foo yong patty, 2 tomato slices, 4 pickles, and 1 slice of bread. Serve.