Recipe: Chinese Steamed Egg

Whether you know it as Japanese chawanmushi or just call it steamed egg, this is a foolproof method to get silky smooth eggs without a strainer or any hard work.

My grandmother has been making these Chinese steamed eggs for me my whole life, but it was a video from Karen at DaiGaSikFaan that reintroduced me to the dish!

While her rendition is a perfect base, I like to add MSG and chicken bouillon to mine. If I'm really feeling crazy, I "white it up" and turn it into a silky omelette—yes, I put spinach, bacon, and cheese in there sometimes.

Here's my base recipe, with a video attached below. My measurements are based on vibes—that's the real secret to cooking.

When your heart says stop, that's when you stop.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium/large eggs or 4 small eggs 
• 1 cup water 
• a sprinkle of MSG 
• as much salt as you like in your eggs
• a quarter of a chicken bouillon cube, or whatever you feel is right. 
• soy sauce 
• sesame oil
• green onions

If you'd like to customize your steamed eggs, use the three eggs and water and then whatever other ingredients you'd like! 

How to:

1. Prepare your pot or steamer. I like to use a hollowed-out aluminum can inside a regular pot (refer to the video). Make sure you have enough room between your plate and the top of the water. We don't want the egg boiling in the water -- we want it steaming above.
2. In a bowl, carefully stir together the eggs, water, MSG, salt, and bouillon. The more you whisk, the more air bubbles. We want as few air bubbles as possible. If you're making a custom steamed egg, omit the MSG, salt, and bouillon, and add bacon, spinach, and cheese (or whatever else you'd like).
3. Place a shallow bowl or plate into your steamer for approximately one to two minutes to ensure even cooking temperatures.
4. Once the bowl or plate is hot, add your egg mixture. Steam for two minutes, then turn off the heat.
5. Leave the lid shut and let the egg continue steaming without heat for around 8 minutes.
6. Once the eggs are jiggly but firm, drizzle with sesame oil and add however much soy sauce you'd like. Finally, sprinkle on some green onion.
7. ENJOY.

@sullymacaroni In a very Chinese time of your life? Need a #steamer? I like to let the water boil, then put my plate on top of the aluminum to warm up, then put the food inside! BONUS: #cantonese steamed egg recipe!! #steamer #chinesetime #cookinghack ♬ original sound - sullymacaroni