How to: steam eggs
Boiled, fried, as an omelet or scrambled: the humble egg is incredibly versatile, but have you ever thought about steaming it? In Asia, it’s completely normal, and it should be here too. It’s an absolute breeze and incredibly delicious.
Let me get straight to the point: I’m addicted to custard. I’ve noticed that there are a lot of people who don’t understand that at all. You either love the creamy, jiggly texture or you detest it. If you’re team custard, you should make this savory steamed egg custard as soon as possible.
Amazingly delicious
Steamed eggs have something magical about them for me. You mix eggs with some water or stock and whatever tickles your fancy. Always use roughly equal parts egg and liquid. A large egg is about 50 ml, so add the same amount of water or stock per egg. Then cover it and steam it for around ten minutes (for 3–4 eggs), and the result is buttery-soft and incredibly flavorful. The active preparation time is less than five minutes, and the result is so amazingly delicious.
Flavorings
What other ingredients can you add? Absolutely anything goes. If you’re taking the Chinese route, use a small splash of Shaoxing rice wine. I always make mine vegetarian, with just some shiitake mixed in, but you can also add ground pork or shrimp. Ground pork can simply go into the mixture; place a shrimp on the custard after 7 minutes so it can steam along for another 3 minutes.
Chawanmushi
The Japanese version of this dish is called chawanmushi (the most fun word ever to say), and dashi is used as the base. A splash of mirin (Japanese rice wine) is added too. Ground pork or shrimp are delicious in this version as well, but it’s also great to steam some shelled edamame along with it during the final few minutes. After steaming, you can top it with spring onion, sesame oil or soy sauce.
Serving
You can serve the steamed egg custard in small bowls alongside some soup or rice, but I usually just make one bowl with three or four eggs at once. I spoon it over rice. Add another Japanese or Chinese vegetable dish on the side and you’re good to go.
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