made in MyKitchen | steamed egg with shrimp sauce
for hubs and myself, perhaps the most delightful dish that can be categorized as comfort food in the Chinese cuisine is steamed egg.. the silky, smooth and flavorful jiggly egg custard that simply melts in your mouth is not just easy on the palate, but also as easy as 1-2-3 to prepare..
the recipe for today is hubs’ absolute favorite steamed egg dish in the world (his own words~)..
i can’t help but agree with him.. the beautiful umami flavor from the seaweed and shrimp stock permeates the custard through and through.. we just can’t stop digging into it once we start.. that, and with the right ratio of egg and stock, the custard is very smooth, very silky when steamed.. it just rolls right down the throat with ease.. so much ease that you won’t realize you’ve finished it when you do..
the shrimp sauce that tops the egg custard is just another of those typical Chinese stir fry style dish turned into a sauce by adding more liquid to it.. the reigning no-brainer cooking style in Chinese cuisine – stir frying.. you’re not Chinese if you don’t know how to stir fry, as my late grandma used to say.. 
other than porridge, this dish is top of the list whenever one of us is unwell.. normally, i don’t do much in the kitchen when my body’s all weak and cranky, but just the thought of digging into the awesome soft steamed egg with equally awesome diced shrimp meat covered in golden sauce drizzled all over it is enough to give me the strength to get up and start working on it..
the dish is great as an appetizer, as well as a snack.. brekkie.. brunch.. lunch.. tea.. dinner.. supper.. it’s just perfect for whenever, AND wherever, in my opinion.. steamed and served in a pretty little bowl, it’s a feast for the eyes as well.. i like to use medium sized ramekins to steam this dish in as the size is just right for each portion per person.. you can use rice or soup bowls too if you don’t have any.. just make sure that they’re not plastic or melamine ones as these are not made for use in heating or cooking..
anyhoo~
a very important tip for steaming eggs – be sure to cover the bowl with either aluminium foil or cling wrap, to get a smooth surface throughout the steaming process.. i didn’t cover mine as i ran out of both, so, the edges of the egg custard look as though it’s been pricked with huge needles.. nope, not pretty at all.. a perfect steamed egg is one that sports a clear and smooth surface.. unlike mine.. 
though the ‘holey’ edges give a nice halo-like ring around the steamed egg, come to think of it.. well, kind of..
STEAMED EGG WITH SHRIMP SAUCE
Ingredients :
- 1 cup (4 large) eggs
- 2 cups stock (kombu+prawn heads)
- shrimp meat, cut into tiny cubes
- garlic, chopped finely
- spring onion/chives, chopped
- ½ - ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- a bit of Shao Hsing wine
- oyster sauce
- water mixed with corn starch
Method :
- first, prepare the stock 1-2 hours before cooking. boil rinsed kombu with prawn heads in a pot of water for about 15 minutes or longer. using a very fine sieve, strain the stock into a container and leave to cool
- prepare steamer
- in a measuring jug (for easier pouring later), mix eggs, stock and salt. strain the mixture through a sieve to separate from lumpy bits of egg
- taste the mixture again. add more salt if needed
- pour egg mixture into ramekins. don’t fill the ramekins right up to the rim, as the egg will rise during steaming
- when the steamer is ready, turn the heat to low and steam the eggs for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. to check for doneness, poke a bamboo skewer in the middle of the ramekin. if a clear liquid seeps out, the egg is fully cooked
- while the egg is steaming away, prepare shrimp sauce
- heat up some oil and saute garlic until fragrant
- add in shrimp meat and saute until half cooked
- very quickly, add in Shao Hsing wine, oyster sauce, some of the kombu+shrimp stock, and a bit of water mixed with corn starch
- stir well. taste the sauce. add more oyster sauce or corn starch mixture if needed
- add chopped spring onion/chives in last, and mix well
- turn the heat off when the sauce is ready
- pour it on the steamed egg
- serve, and enjoy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
whytevee
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