January 1st.
The simple joy of a Chinese steamed egg.
I woke up naturally, alone, about 9am to ring in 2025. I’d slipped to bed just after midnight after an evening of cooking tasty but still slightly disappointing Chinese food for one - J was working in town overnight - followed by a lovely, peaceful run up to midnight finishing up a collection of gothic winter ghost stories by some of my favourite contemporary authors by candlelight next to the twinkling Christmas tree.
The steamer was still out on the countertop from the night before, dragged out from the garage where it usually lives, being far too cumbersome for everyday (it’s a multi-cooker I was given when I was working with the client, rather than a slightly more pedestrian bamboo basket or steel number) and whilst the char siu buns I’d got it out for from the Asian supermarket languished in the bin (they tasted of plastic) it came to me before I put it away perhaps I should try one of those Chinese Steamed Egg recipes I kept on seeing and scrolling past because it was always such a bother to get the steamer out?
Unsure if it would work or not in a non-canonical steamer (and also looking at the 3 minute cooking time before a 14 minute rest over the residual heat) I got to work with a recipe from one of my go-to Chinese websites, Woks of Life, whisking the eggs, adding toasted sesame oil, blending in stock and water, and straining it into one of only two bowls I own that would fit properly in the basket.
As you’ll see from this morning’s eggs, the wibble on what came out of the basket, finally, was beautiful. Dipping a spoon into the hot, light, silken-tofu like eggs turned something I thought would be a failure into a revelation.
I cautiously sprinkled over the suggested finely sliced spring onion, then a splash of the Kikkoman soy sauce we keep on the kitchen table, adding toppings and seasonings every few spoonfuls, trying to get the right balance, luxuriation in the warm, simple, clean comfort on the first morning of the new year, sitting alone in the winter sunshine with only Stanley Tuccis' brilliant second food memoir for company.
About halfway through I remembered the little sachet of soy sauce flavoured sesame seeds that came in my exotic spices advent calendar and they were the perfect sprinkle, adding a different dimension of umami salt and a little crunch.
Aside from the morning we both went for a Full English, and the quickly grabbed egg on toast before hitting the road to London for a 3-year old’s birthday weekend (I think I’ve read more story books out loud in the past 48 hours than I have in living memory) I’ve steamed eggs every morning spent at home this year.
On day two I forgot to add tried it without the dash of toasted sesame oil, which I missed, whilst acknowledging the reduction to 2 eggs from 3 worked just as well for slow, mindful weekday breakfasts. I tried the only other bowl that fit in the steamer too, but whilst it worked, condensation gathered on top of the eggs, which had to be blotted off with kitchen paper before eating. The other bowl - beloved for nothing else in the kitchen - has now become precious.
Day three came with the removal of the stock in favour of water: as I’d been using vegetable stock cubes to make that element (it’s fresh lamb stock in my fridge at the moment, rather than chicken) I’d not missed it. I’ll add good chicken stock back in if I have it, but if not water will do.
After a dinner of pizza cooked outside in the new Ooni at below freezing temperatures at my parents house I lifted (does it count as stealing if it’s still in it’s plastic wrap, and you paid for the original that broke?) the bamboo steamer basket with the idea of continuing my steamed egg obsession whilst still being able to put away the massive multi-cooker. But, alas the egg did not set in the only bowl that fit in it (not enough circulation space) so that idea had to be abandoned.
I’ll keep you updated on how my attempts to steam eggs using the old screwed up balls of foil in the bottom of a big lidded saucepan trick goes, as the steamer has to go away tomorrow after breakfast to make away for my return to recipe development and other essential appliances. And on additional topping ideas (chilli crisp was too much and overwhelmed the gentle eggs, but the kimchee roasted sesame seeds I turned to once I’d eaten all the soy ones seem to be going well - I also think snipped chives instead of the spring onion will be good when I have them) as I discover them.
But for now, here is how to make Chinese Steamed Eggs for breakfast, because they’re comforting, soft, gentle, healthy (yes it’s January and I went there) and as they’re all I want to eat for breakfast at the moment, I think one you’ve tried them you’ll feel the same.
Chinese Steamed Egg for One
Serves: 1, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 17 minutes
I usually prepare the eggs and the spring onion whilst the water is heating up for steaming. If you, like me, live in the UK and buy large eggs, two large eggs pretty much always come to 114g so you can safely just add 228g liquid without scales if your measuring jug allows for such (almost) accuracy.
2 large eggs
dash of toasted sesame oil
salt
equal weight of liquid to eggs (all water, or 50/50 stock to water)
optional toppings and soy sauce, to serve (see above for ideas!)
Set a steamer / large enough steamer basket etc. over boiling water to steam on high. Find a bowl large enough to take approx. 350g of liquid, and shallow enough to fit in the steamer with the lid on still allowing steam to circulate well all around the eggs.
Beat the eggs well in another dish or jug, then beat in a dash of toasted sesame oil and season with salt. Add the liquid, and beat again.
Using a regular sieve, strain the eggs into the bowl and transfer to the steamer basket. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn off / pull off the heat. Allow to steam for a further 14 minutes, before topping and eating with a spoon.
Scallion oil (I like Kenji’s recipe) is really good on steamed eggs. For a twist try using dashi as your liquid - it makes a more Japanese chawanmushi-like steamed eggs.
Loved this post, thanks! Steamed eggs are such a magical comfort food - and so fast and easy too. Very versatile as well since you can primp them up with all sorts of toppings.
Love your pics too - they're gorgeous. Guess what we're making for dinner tonight, haha!
These days, when we need our fix in a hurry (and don't care whether it looks pretty 😉), we just use a small steel salad-type bowl and a lidded metal saucepan. (For company, we lug out the big steamer baskets and use mini chawanmushi cups.)
Metal heats up a bit faster, and the wide flat shape of the bowl we decided on also keeps the eggs in a shallow even layer (just under 2cm thick).
Like you, we steam on high for 3 min (with the lid kept slightly ajar to keep the steam from condensing). But after turning off the heat, we find that another 3 min is more than enough to finish setting the eggs.
And we use a higher water ratio (1.5x), so the custard should actually take longer to set.
For a speedier fix, especially in the mornings, you might want to see if switching to a wider and shallower bowl (metal or ceramic) cuts down your waiting time ☺️. But it does look so much prettier and so much more tempting in your bowl 😝.