Steam Egg with Dashi

Sometimes as a mom I’m not always prepared and have something defrosted and ready to be made from the refrigerator. It is hard to alway think ahead, so when I have those days where I’m not prepared, I make this simple dish for my family. Steamed egg or “蒸蛋” or “chawanmushi” is a classic dish that can be made quickly and it is light. Traditionally it is made with soy sauce but for the savory component I like adding dashi to it to give the dish an umami flavor. Having these couple humble ingredients in your pantry is all you need for a dish that you don’t need to think too much about. 

Mastering the Cook of Steam Eggs

Steamed egg has a custard and silky texture, so it is very easy for kids to ingest. I think this dish is a good introduction for babies into eating solid foods as well as Chinese cooking in general. It may seem simple to make but it can be quite tricky and take a little while to master that perfect silky texture. When the eggs overcook it becomes “wrinkly” and bubbles form at the top of the egg that isn’t aesthetically pleasing. When it is undercooked, the liquid is runny and looks like pudding. Achieving that perfect evenly cooked egg with a silky texture takes practice and thats why I have some tips at the bottom of the recipe so nobody has to make the mistakes I made. If you don’t like the dashi flavor because of that fishiness taste, substituting the dashi with soy sauce is the classic way to make the dish. 

Equipment for Steam Eggs

The right steaming plate is also important for steaming all Chinese dishes in general. Having the right plate allows the dish to cook more evenly consistent throughout. The ratio of egg in the plate has be to be balanced because that would also affect cook time. For instance, when I have more egg mixture in a deeper steaming plate, I would need to add more time to steam to make sure it cooks through. The depth of my mixture is roughly about 2 inched deep in the plate, which is why my cook time is about 8 minutes.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 ½  cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of dashi
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• Green onion (garnish)

Directions

1. Break eggs in a prep bowl and whisk with a fork until there are little to no egg whites
2. Bring 1 ½ cups of water to boil on high heat. Once water boils, pour in 1 tablespoon of dashi in the pot, and stir.
3. Heat dashi mixture for two minutes and then turn off stove.

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5. Using a fine mesh strainer, pour egg mixture into mesh strainer with prep bowl underneath it to filter out excess egg whites

6. Use whisk to separate the egg whites to allow more egg mixture to drip into bowl

7. Pour an equal amount of dashi broth into a bowl that is equivalent to egg mixture

8. Pour in 2 teaspoons of soy sauce into mixture

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9. Combine the egg mixture and Dashi broth into a flat 8-inch steam plate

10. Use spoon to blend the mixture

11. In a large wok, bring two cups of water to a boil on high heat.

12. Once water boils, put eggs into steaming wok and turn down the heat to medium low

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13. Wrap plate with saran wrap. Do not let saran wrap touch egg mixture. Close lid and steam for 15-16 minutes.

14. After 15 minutes, turn off stove and let egg cook in heat for 1 more minute.

15. Take out the egg, garnish with green onions or Ikura on top and serve.

Notes:

1. Over steaming the eggs can form bubbles and the taste will be less silky and soft
2. An even flat plate keeps the cook of the eggs on a consistent level and is better for this dish
3. Depending on the deepness of your plate, the time of steaming needs to be adjusted.
4. My steaming plate is 8.5” diameter, and my plate is 2.5” depth, my egg mixture is around 2 inches in height which accounts for the 8 minutes for steaming time.
5. If you’re unsure about the cook of the eggs, jiggle the plate of eggs and see if the eggs move. If it is undercooked, liquid will pour out of the eggs. If its jiggling like jello, then its cooked through.
6. I like using Hondashi for my dashi, it has a good flavor and great shelf life. Check out whats in my pantry for more info.

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