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Breakfast

Steamed Eggs with Scallion (蒸蛋 (Zhēng Dàn))

sjfegan

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4
Servings

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 240ml (1 cup) Water, warm
  • 1 scallion, finely sliced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Method

  1. Beat the eggs gently with the warm water and salt until well combined, taking care not to create too many bubbles.
  2. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a shallow heatproof dish for the smoothest texture.
  3. Cover the dish loosely with a plate or foil.
  4. Steam over gently simmering water for 12–15 minutes until just set with a slight wobble.
  5. Drizzle with sesame oil and scatter with sliced scallion before serving.

Introduction: Eggs gently steamed with water and scallion into a silky, custard-like dish, a nourishing breakfast enjoyed by those who could afford eggs in ancient China.

Cultural Background: Eggs held a valued place in ancient Chinese cooking, and steaming them gently with water was recognised early as a way to achieve a soft, delicate texture, a technique that has persisted essentially unchanged for over two thousand years.

Tips: Use warm rather than cold water for smoother, more custard-like eggs. Straining the mixture removes bubbles that would otherwise create small holes in the finished texture.

Variations: Add a few drops of soy sauce for extra savouriness. Include some finely diced mushroom for added texture.

Storage: Best eaten fresh; not well suited to storing.

Reheating: Reheating is not recommended, as the texture suffers; best made fresh.

Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 130 kcal, 9 g protein, 9 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate.

FAQs:

Q: How old is this steaming technique?

A: Gentle water steaming of eggs has roots stretching back over two thousand years in Chinese culinary history, remaining largely unchanged to this day.

Q: Why strain the egg mixture?

A: Straining removes air bubbles that would otherwise mar the smooth, silky texture that defines a well-made steamed egg.

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