Chinese Steamed Egg Food

CHINESE STEAMED EGG

Steps:

• First you need to determine how much water or stock you will need. As eggs differ in size, the amount will depend on the volume of the eggs that you use for this recipe. I can give you a guide, but if you want perfect Chinese Steamed Eggs, it's best if you measured your eggs. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs together with a fork. Measure out and take note of the volume of the eggs (cups or milliliters). If you have a 2-cup measuring cup, you can beat the eggs directly into the cup to get a measurement. My four eggs totaled 200 milliliters (just under 1 cup).
• The amount of water or stock you will want is between 1 1/2 to 2 times the volume of the eggs. So if you have 200 milliliters of egg, you could use between 300 - 400 milliliters of water, depending on your preference. 300 milliliters of water or stock will give you a firmer texture than if you were to use 400 milliliters. For reference, in the photos, I used 300 milliliters of water.
• Slowly mix the water in with the eggs. Mix in salt if using.
• Carefully pour the eggs through a fine mesh strainer and evenly divide into two bowls. The strainer will catch any larger pieces of the egg, as well as break apart much of the bubbles or foam that may have formed. If you have the time, allow the egg to sit for a few minutes so any remaining bubbles on the surface pop.
• Cover the eggs with aluminum foil. This is to prevent any water droplets from the steamer from falling directly onto the eggs, making the surface of the steamed eggs rough.
• Gently place the bowls onto a prepared steamer. Steam over low heat until the eggs are set, about 10-14 minutes, depending on the shape and depth of your bowls. For reference, in the photos, the eggs were steamed for 12 minutes.
• Carefully remove from steamer and garnish with desired toppings. Serve warm.

BASIC CHINESE STEAMED EGGS

Steps:

• Whisk eggs, water, salt, and pepper in bowl or cup.
• place bowl in steamer (simple way to do this is to bring water to a boil in a pot and place the bowl in the pot on a stand and close the lid, if you don't have a steamer available).
• steam for 15 minutes.
• add vinegar and sesame oil, and mix up with a spoon and eat. I know not everyone likes the vinegar. It has a special flavor. Leave it out if you wish. I do leave it out if I add goodies like mushrooms and stuff.

CHINESE STEAMED EGGS

Steps:

• Beat the eggs in one direction for half a minute.
• Add the remaining ingredients and beat for another minute.
• Filter the mixture twice through a sieve to remove impurities and bubbles.
• Pour the mixture into a shallow dish.
• Use a spoon to skim any bubbles from the surface.
• Set up a steaming station.
• Steam over low heat with the lid on for 8 minutes.
• Drizzle light soy sauce and sesame oil on top and garnish with chopped spring onions.

CHINESE STEAMED EGGS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot (it should have a tight-fitting lid) with 1 inch of water and set aside.
• Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the chicken broth, 3/4 cup water and salt and whisk until completely blended and smooth. Strain the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a 2- or 4-cup liquid measuring cup with a spout.
• Pour the eggs into four 6-ounce heat-proof ramekins. Use a spoon to remove any bubbles that float to the top of the egg mixture, but don't worry if you can't get each one. Cover the top of each ramekin tightly with aluminum foil.
• Set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very strong simmer (around medium heat). Place a steamer-basket insert in the pot, add the ramekins to the insert and cover the pot with the lid.
• Cook for exactly 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow the eggs to cook in the residual heat for 15 minutes more.
• Use tongs to carefully remove the ramekins from the steamer basket. Remove the foil, drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce and top with the sliced scallion.