I vividly recall the dinners that I used to have with my family as a little child, when my mom was still with us. No matter how busy, my parents ensured there was a nice spread of dishes on the table for their children on a nightly basis. Now that I am a full-time working mother myself, I honestly don’t understand how they did it, managing a business that consumed 15+ hours of their days AND returning home to cook for a decent-sized family … but they did! One dish that they frequently made, likely because it is so easy, quick, yet delicious and a family-favorite, is Chinese steamed eggs! I throw this dish into my (small) spread on chaotic days as well because my daughter DEVOURS it in a heartbeat and it is extremely easy to make and rather healthy.
HOW TO GET IT PERFECTLY SMOOTH
A dish of perfectly silky and smooth Chinese steamed eggs is simple to achieve as long as you check the following items off:
- 1:2 Egg to water ratio – For better accuracy, I like to use large eggs and a food scale. Large eggs typically weigh about 50g each. With that in mind, I add 100g of water for every egg that I use for steamed eggs. I used 4 large eggs in the below recipe (which would weigh about 200g) and therefore whisked them with 400g of water. Simple math, eh?
- Remove bubbles created during whisking, if any, and use a sieve! If you’re aiming for perfection, pour the egg mixture through a sieve, into the steaming dish or bowl, to filter out any bubbles or unbeaten eggs before steaming!
- Cover the dish with saran wrap prior to steaming to avoid condensation drippings from hitting the eggs during the steaming process. What I also find helpful is poking a few holes through the saran wrap with a fork or toothpick.
FILLINGS & GARNISHMENTS
What’s great about this dish is it pairs well with a variety of fillings and garnishments. Due to lack of time, I usually keep it simple, drizzling just soy sauce and sesame oil over the finished product and garnishing with scallions and/or cilantro. However, you can steam shrimp or other seafood with the eggs, as well as your vegetables of choice. Just keep in mind that the steaming time may need to be adjusted!
Chinese Steamed Eggs (蒸蛋) Recipe
Equipment
- wok or steamer
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 400 g water
- ½ tbsp fish sauce or to taste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
- ½ tsp sesame oil or to taste
- 1 stalk scallion chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat thoroughly.
- Add water and fish sauce into the same bowl and beat until incorporated with the egg.
- Pour the mixture into a dish, through a sieve.
- Cover the dish with saran wrap, poke a few holes with a fork or toothpick on the saran wrap, and steam for 12 minutes (more or less depending on the depth of the dish or bowl used).
- Remove from steamer and top with soy sauce, sesame oil and chopped scallions. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
PRODUCTS USED IN VIDEO:
- Light Soy Sauce – https://amzn.to/3bfWJJ3
- Fish Sauce – https://amzn.to/2X5nacc
- Sesame Oil – https://amzn.to/3pWPFFA
- White Pepper – https://amzn.to/2QgRel2
- Zojirushi Rice Cooker – https://amzn.to/3b2S1OI
- Food Scale – https://amzn.to/3xmxa2u
- Wok – https://amzn.to/3xBnq5O
- Measuring Spoons – https://amzn.to/3bb5YKK
- Mesh Sieves – https://amzn.to/3bobmu9
