Steamed Egg Custard
Eggs are highly nutritious and can be prepared in various ways, such as frying, stir-frying, cooking, deep-frying, boiling, and steaming. Boiled eggs retain the pure taste, fried eggs are the most flavorful, marinated eggs are the most savory, and steamed eggs are the most tender. A bowl of silky, delicious steamed egg custard is fresh, tender, and smooth. It's warm and nutritious, perfect for cold days. Mastering the technique to make steamed egg custard without any air holes, as smooth as tofu pudding, requires some skills.
Ingredients
Steps
Crack 2 free-range eggs in a small bowl (regular eggs are also fine). Add a pinch of salt and whisk with chopsticks until beaten. Add an appropriate amount of warm water, about 1.5 times the volume of the egg liquid, and stir thoroughly. Using warm water ensures that the steamed egg custard will be tender and smooth like tofu pudding. Many people use cold water, which makes the texture rough and dry.
Filter the beaten egg liquid once using a sieve to remove bubbles and impurities.
This step ensures the egg liquid is smoother, resulting in a custard with no 'honeycomb' texture, making it visually appealing, tender, and smooth.
Filtered egg liquid.
Pour the filtered egg liquid back into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent condensation from dripping into the egg liquid, which would affect its texture (alternatively, cover with a small bowl, leaving a slight gap). Use a toothpick to poke a few small holes in the plastic wrap for ventilation, preventing it from bursting due to excessive heat.
Boil water in a pot, place the bowl inside, and steam for 12 minutes. The steamed egg custard is ready.
Remove the bowl immediately after steaming, or the custard will overcook. Tear off the plastic wrap, add a little soy sauce and sesame oil for flavor. Adding some vinegar can also enhance its taste and richness. A tender and flavorful steamed egg custard is ready to enjoy, with a delicate texture and no fishy taste.
For perfect steamed egg custard, the ratio of egg liquid to water is crucial. Use a ratio of 1:1.5 (egg liquid to warm water). For example, for 2 eggs, add warm water equivalent to 3 eggshell volumes. Keep this in mind.