I'm back today with another take on a Pei Mei recipe, this time from volume II. Steamed egg is a Chinese homestyle classic, but one with which I don't personally have much history. I think I've had it a few times, many years ago. It's certainly unlike anything else I've cooked in recent memory. The texture is silky smooth and the whole bowl jiggles like Jell-O. It's basically a savory custard, which isn't a common thing in Western cuisine. The name of the dish in Chinese is xiaren zhengdan, which translates to "shrimp meat steamed egg."
I used my homemade Chinese shrimp stock to pair with the shrimp on top. This gave the eggs a subtle shrimp flavor, which was quite pleasant. Chicken stock, again in the Chinese style, would also work well, I think. There are many variations to this dish, with different toppings and flavorings. I'm definitely going to try it again and play around with it more. I served with rice and stir-fried broccoli to round out a perfect meal for two.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Chinese-style soup stock (I used shrimp stock)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. Shaoxing wine or sherry
- 1 tsp. light soy sauce
- Several cilantro leaves
- 10 shrimp
Instructions
Set up a wok for steaming. I use a circular wire rack that sits in the wok. Fill with water to just under the rack and bring to a boil over high heat. Peel and clean the shrimp, pat dry, and lightly season with salt.
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| The raw egg mixture |
Beat the eggs and combine with the stock, salt, wine, and soy sauce. Mix well into a homogeneous mixture. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a wide bowl. Float the cilantro leaves on top and place on the rack.
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| Right before adding shrimp |
Cover and steam for 6 minutes, until egg is set but still loose.
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| After cooking |
Arrange the shrimp on top of the egg, being careful not to break the surface. Cover and continue steaming for 3 more minutes, until shrimp is just cooked through. Serve with rice and vegetables.
I don't remember grandpa making this dish or ever having it in a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI know this dish well as a child. When we were in grade school, we still had a lived in servant and she made it a lot. As kids we liked it very much. Theee were two versions. One was with shrimp and the shrimp were the tiny ones and always added with the custard from the start. The shrimp would be submerged and incorporated with the custard. Another was ground pork and mostly sank to the bottom so when cooked, the custard would be smooth. I understand from Japanese friends that they also have a custard and it isn’t usually available on restaurants because it is more something people make at home.
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