Crispy fried pumpkin with salted egg yolk is a popular restaurant-style dish in China, where the pumpkin is typically deep fried before being tossed with the rich, savory egg yolk coating. The same salted egg yolk cooking style can be used with ingredients such as shrimp, crab, and other vegetables, but pumpkin is one of my favorites. Its natural sweetness balances the salty richness of the egg yolk beautifully, while the crisp edges and tender center make every bite satisfying. I would say it is a dish between a vegetable side and a meatless main, since the salted duck egg yolk gives it enough richness to hold a plate on its own.
I grew up eating salted duck eggs the way many Northern Chinese families do, cut in half and served alongside a bowl of plain congee for breakfast. It took me longer to discover that the yolk on its own is also a wonderful ingredient for cooking. When crumbled into hot oil, it turns fragrant and foamy, creating a rich, savory coating that clings beautifully to the pumpkin. The contrast with the naturally sweet pumpkin is what makes this dish so special.
I salt the pumpkin first to pull out water so it crisps instead of steams, then coat it in cornstarch and shallow fry it in a skillet until crisp on both sides. While that happens I crush the cooked salted yolks and cook them down with garlic and Shaoxing wine into a thick coating, then toss the fried pumpkin back in, all done in 30 minutes with most of that time being the salt rest. Cook this the next time you want a rich vegetable dish for your family, I created my recipe below to walk you through the shallow-frying and egg yolk coating process step by step.
Ingredients
These are all the ingredients I use to make this Crispy Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk recipe.
Pumpkin: I cut peeled pumpkin or winter squash into short thick sticks so they crisp on the outside and stay tender in the middle. I use butternut squash most of the time because it is the easiest to peel and cut, and acorn squash or kabocha both work if that is what I have.
Salt: I toss the raw sticks with salt and let them rest, which pulls out water so the cornstarch coating fries crisp instead of going soggy.
Cornstarch: I coat the drained sticks in cornstarch, which gives me the crackly shell that a shallow fry can match a deep fry on.
Salted duck egg yolk: I use cooked salted duck egg yolks, which come from duck eggs cured in brine until the yolks are firm and deep orange-red. You can buy the yolks already cooked and vacuum-packed at Chinese or Asian grocery stores, or buy whole cooked salted duck eggs and peel them yourself, using just the yolks for this recipe.
Garlic: I fry a little minced garlic in the saved oil first so the coating starts from a savory base.
Shaoxing wine and sugar: I deglaze the pan with Shaoxing wine to lift the yolk into a sauce, and a pinch of sugar rounds out the salt from the yolk.
Oil: I shallow fry in canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet, then pour off all but a spoonful to cook the coating.
How to Make
1. Salt the pumpkin: Place the pumpkin sticks in a deep plate and sprinkle with salt. Toss with your hands to coat, then let them rest for 15 minutes so the salt draws out the water.
2. Crush the yolks: While the pumpkin rests, crush the cooked salted yolks with a fork in a small bowl until they are very well crumbled.
3. Coat with cornstarch: Drain off the liquid from the pumpkin and move the sticks to a big bowl. Add the cornstarch and toss to coat every piece completely.
4. Set up a drain: Line a large plate with a few layers of paper towels, or set a wire rack over a baking tray.
5. Shallow fry the pumpkin: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the coated pumpkin and cook until the bottom is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side another 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp all over and cooked through.
6. Drain the pumpkin: Cut the heat. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to move the pumpkin to the prepared plate or rack to drain the extra oil.
7. Save a spoonful of oil: Pour off the oil into a heatproof bowl, or use a big ladle, keeping only about a tablespoon in the pan.
8. Fry the garlic: Set the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
9. Cook the yolk: Add the crumbled salted yolk. Cook and stir until it is thick and foaming but not browning, just a few seconds.
10. Deglaze: Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Cook and stir until the liquid is mostly evaporated.
11. Toss and finish: Add the fried pumpkin back to the pan and sprinkle the sugar over the top. Stir everything together for 1 minute, until each piece is coated with the yolk. Move it to a plate right away and serve hot.
My Cooking Tips
Do not skip the salt rest: The 15 minute rest is what makes the difference between crisp and soggy. Squash holds a lot of water, and pulling some of it out before the cornstarch goes on is the reason a shallow fry can match a restaurant deep fry.
Cut the sticks the same size: I keep the pieces close to the same thickness so they cook at the same rate. Uneven sticks give me some pieces still firm in the center while others start to fall apart.
Watch the yolk closely: The salted yolk goes from thick and foamy to browned in seconds. I keep the heat at medium-low and pull it forward the moment it foams, since a browned yolk tastes bitter instead of rich.
Use butternut when you are short on time: Peeling and cutting a whole pumpkin is the slowest part of this dish. Butternut squash has a straight neck that peels fast, so I use it on a busy night.
Blanch instead if you want less oil: If I do not want to shallow fry, I blanch the squash until al dente and then pan fry it in a little oil. It comes out less crisp but still holds the yolk coating well.
Serve it the minute it is coated: This dish is at its best straight from the pan. The crisp shell softens as it sits, so I plate it and bring it to the table without waiting.
How to Serve
Fried pumpkin with salted egg yolk is a rich plate, so I treat it as the savory centerpiece of a simple meal and keep everything around it lighter. On a quiet night I put it over a bowl of steamed rice and let the yolk coating season each bite, or I place it next to a bowl of Chinese fish congee the way I grew up eating salted duck egg with plain porridge. So good!
When I have my parents or friends over, I like to set the pumpkin in the middle of the table and round out the meal with a braised meat and a simple green vegetable. A pot of Chinese braised beef makes a comforting centerpiece, while simply cooked bok choy with oyster sauce or broccoli with garlic sauce adds something fresh and green to balance the richness of the salted egg yolk. Serve everything with steamed rice for a satisfying family-style dinner.
Frequently Ask Questions
What is salted duck egg yolk and where do I buy it?
Salted duck egg yolks come from duck eggs that have been cured with salt until the yolks become firm, rich, and deep orange-red. I find packaged cooked yolks in the refrigerated section of Chinese grocery stores and Asian markets, and whole salted duck eggs are sold online as well. If you buy the whole eggs, cook them first and use only the yolks for this dish.
Why did my pumpkin come out soggy instead of crispy?
The most common reason is skipping the salt rest or crowding the pan. The salt pulls water out of the squash so the cornstarch can crisp, and a hot skillet with room between the pieces lets each side crisp instead of steam.
How to store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The coating will soften as it sits, so reheat the pumpkin in a 400°F (200°C) oven or air fryer for a few minutes to crisp it up again.
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Crispy Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled pumpkin or winter squash such as butternut squash , cut into 2”x1/2” (5 cm x 1 cm) sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 2 salted duck yolks , cooked (*Footnote 1)
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin in a deep plate. Sprinkle with the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss with your hands to coat the pumpkin evenly with salt. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Crush the cooked yolks with a fork in a small bowl, until they are very well crumbled.
- Drain off the liquid from the pumpkin and transfer it to a big bowl. Add the cornstarch and toss to coat completely.
- Prepare a large plate and top it with a few layers of paper towels. Or prepare a medium-sized baking tray with a wire rack.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the coated pumpkin. Cook until the bottom turns crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pumpkin to cook the other side, for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns crispy throughout and cooked through.
- Turn off the heat. Transfer the cooked pumpkin using a spider strainer or a slotted spoon to the prepared plate (or rack) to drain the excess oil.
- Remove the extra oil and only save 1 tablespoon of oil by either pouring the oil into a heat-proof bowl, or using a big ladle.
- Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant, 30 seconds or so.
- Add the crumbled salted yolk. Cook and stir until it is thick and foaming but not browning, a few seconds.
- Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Cook and stir until the liquid is mostly evaporated.
- Add the fried pumpkin back to the pan and sprinkle the sugar over it. Stir everything together for 1 minute, or until the pumpkin pieces are evenly coated with the yolk. Transfer to a plate immediately.
- Serve hot as a side dish or over steamed rice as a main.
Notes
- Depending on the type of salted duck eggs (or duck egg yolks) you purchase, they might be raw or cooked. If you use the cooked whole duck eggs, you can simply peel them and discard the egg whites. If using raw whole duck eggs, you will need to boil the eggs first (like you’d cook regular hard-boiled chicken eggs, but increase the cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes due to the size of the duck eggs). If you use packaged salted duck egg yolks (they usually come in a vacuum bag), they might be raw or cooked. If raw, you can either bake them in a 350˚F (176˚C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or microwave them for a few seconds to cook them through.
- To make the dish gluten-free: use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ and share your thoughts in the comments further down the page. It really helps others discover the recipe too.
Kacey
This recipe was SO good! I gobbled these up so fast!! To me these reminded me of a more savory alternative to sweet potatoes fries, which I’ve always found to be too sweet for my liking. These were the perfect combination of salty and sweet! I’m already making it a second time. 🙂
Wendy
Mine didn’t turn out crispy but the taste was very good. The sweet salty was just the right balance.
Linda Baniecki
Love the crispy pumpkin recipe. I love ginger prawn dumplings at Yum Cha , but have never been able to find the recipe. I think they are steamed with dried bean curd skin. If you know this recipe Id love to see it. I love your recipes.