Chinese spinach and peanut salad with egg strips in black vinegar dressing

Bring water to a boil in the wok over high heat.

Drizzle in vegetable oil to coat the spinach and keep it bright green; add the spinach.

After 20 seconds move the spinach to an ice bath, squeeze out the moisture and put it in a big mixing bowl.

Discard the water and dry the wok on the stove.

Add a little oil and the peanuts and stir over medium-low heat a few minutes until darker; cool completely before mixing into the wet salad so they stay crunchy.

Whisk two eggs well. Heat the wok until smoking, wipe out peanut skins, turn off the heat and cool 10 seconds; pour the egg in from the side and swirl to cover the bottom, letting the residual heat set it.

Cut the egg pancake into strips a third of an inch thick.

Press two garlic cloves, add a quarter teaspoon each of salt and sugar and mash with a spoon to a sticky paste; mix in one teaspoon sesame oil.

Add 1.5 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar; optionally diced Thai bird eye chilies and 1 tbsp hot chili oil.

Toss the cooled peanuts with the spinach and the dressing, then add the egg last so it does not absorb all the seasoning.