Steamed Egg Custard 蒸水蛋

I’ve been wanting to write about 蒸水蛋 steamed egg custard for a while. It’s one of these dishes that can be very easy and very hard to make at the same time. It’s easy to make cause it’s really hard to mess up to the point that it’s bad. The most common issue making this is simply steaming it too hard and it starts to bubble and get a little grainy, but it’s really not the end of the world. I’ll show you a bunch of tips of how to make it from my parents to take it to the next level.

The nice thing about this is that you can add other ingredients to it. Most common would be dried scallops or a little bit of minced meat can be added to the bottom of the plate that you’re steaming it in. You could use 上湯 superior stock, but in the middle of this pandemic and people losing jobs, I don’t think it’s appropriate go down this route. I’m going to show a very plain home style version so it will be up to you of what you want to add to it.

If you want to make it really nice, it all comes down to knowing your stove, what you’re steaming it in, and how much you’re making. This takes practice and again, if you steam it and the sides start to get foamy and bubble, it’s okay. It’s not the ideal texture, but it will still taste good. But, with the extra time, you can also maybe try these out and they’re a compilation of tips I got from my parents as well as things I’ve noticed when I’ve made it.

Steaming strength: It’s important to have a gentle steam. Cooking this slowly will give it more of a smooth consistency. Besides using the heat of the stove, you can use something like a thin spoon or chopstick to slightly prop open the lid of the pot or wok. This crack will make the steaming more gentle.

Distance from water level: When you set your steaming rack, I’ve found the most consistent results to have the water level somewhat close to the top of the steaming rack. I don’t think there’s a magical amount of water to us because pots will be of different sizes. So steaming with water at the same level will give more consistent results. Also, the closer your steamed foods are to the water level, the more stronger the steam will be.

Plate/bowl material: Just take notice of what kind of material your’re steaming it in. Usually my folks would make this in a metal plate with tall walls. Just to get a pretty picture for the post, I used one of my ceramic bowls. They heat up at different rates, and if you make this enough, you’ll notice a difference in timing for when they get done.

Plate/bowl shape & portion: I’ve mostly had this dish in plates with tall walls so it’s somewhat shallow. I’ve also had the dish served out of bowls before, but just know that this will greatly affect the cooking time.

Temperature of egg mixture: To be honest, I’m pretty lazy about bringing things up to room temperature. You can leave your egg out beforehand or use slightly tepid water. It’s up to you to do this, but the warmer the starting temperature of the egg mixture is, the faster it will cook.

RECIPE:

2 eggs
1 scant cup of water
1 1/2 tsp Knorr chicken bouillon
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar
White pepper to taste
Very small splash of 紹興酒 Shaoxing wine (optional)
Green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

In a large pot or wok, set a steaming rack in it. Add water to until it is about 1/2 inch away from the top of the steaming rack. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

In the meantime, in a large bowl, add the scant cup of water. Whisk in the chicken bouillon, salt, pinch of sugar, white pepper, and optional splash of 紹興酒 Shaoxing wine. Whisk so the seasoning is fully incorporated. The seasoning incorporates more easily in just water. My mom likes to use slightly warm water for this step.

Crack two eggs in to the seasoned water and whisk to combine. Whisk until you don’t see any streaks of yolk or egg whites. Transfer to a plate with tall walls or a shallow bowl. (You can run the egg solution through a fine mesh strainer as you transfer it to a steaming plate or bowl to remove the foam from whisking or use a spoon to scoop out the foam. This is just for aesthetics.)

When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to about medium-low (this will depend on your stove). Place the plate or shallow bow on the steaming rack. Cover and it is up to you to use a spoon or chopstick to prop the lid slightly ajar. Again, this depends on your stove and setup and getting to know it. Play around with what you have to figure out whether or not you need to prop open the lid.

Steam until you shake the plate and the center is jiggly and not watery. From all the factors listed above, this can be as soon as about 7 minutes all the way up to 15 minutes.

While this is steaming, wash and thinly slice scallions. In the last 10 seconds of cooking, add the scallions to very lightly cook them.

If you don’t finish this right away, this dish makes for great leftovers in my opinion. I really like them cold with hot rice too.