Crispy Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk Recipe (with Video)

Prepare the ingredients
1. 1. Wash the acorn squash, carefully slice it in half, and slice off the root ends. If using pumpkin, peel the outer layer as it’s too thick and isn’t pleasant to eat. Use a spoon to scrape out the inner seeds. Slice the squash into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
2. 2. Put all the slices into a bowl, and add salt. Mix evenly, and let it sit to extract moisture while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. 3. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the batter until there are no more lumps. Add less water to create a thicker fried crust, and more water for a thinner crust.
4. 4. Prepare the cooked salted egg yolks by removing the shell and the whites from the yolks. Mash the yolks to create a paste.
5. 5. Mince the garlic and set aside.
6. 6. Using a clean paper or kitchen towel, squeeze out the moisture from the slices of squash.
Shallow fry the acorn squash
1. 1. Heat up a pan on medium to med-high heat. Add a layer of oil to cover the whole bottom of the pan. The oil is hot enough and ready when a drop of batter sizzles!
2. 2. Coat the slices of squash with the batter, and lay them into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan and make sure they’re not touching or they’ll stick! Fry one side until golden brown (about 2-3 min), then flip and repeat.
Make the salted egg yolk sauce and combine with the squash
1. 1. Once all the squash is fried, remove most of the oil from the pan, leaving ~2 tbsp in the pan. Lower the heat to low-medium, and add the minced garlic. Stir-fry for 1-2 min or until fragrant.
2. 2. Add the salted egg yolk paste, salt, and sugar. Cook until the color deepens a bit (2-3 min), then add water and mix. The consistency of the sauce should be foamy.
3. 3. Turn off the heat, then add the fried acorn squash. Mix well, making sure all pieces are coated in the salted egg yolk. Garnish with scallions, and it’s best enjoyed immediately!