Savoury Egg Custard with Soy and Sesame

by Mandy Yin, featured in Simply Malaysian

Published by Quadrille

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Introduction

My mother’s meal rotation would often include this standard bearer Chinese home-style dish. It is easy to digest, protein-rich and brilliant for young and old alike. The trickiest part of this dish is getting the water-to-egg ratio correct – all you need to remember is that it is 2:1. Combining room-temperature and just-boiled hot water also speeds up the cooking time. So, for example, if your 4 eggs, once beaten, measure 200ml (scant 1 cup), then you’ll need 200ml (scant 1 cup) of room-temperature water and 200ml (scant 1 cup) of hot water. Shallot Oil goes very well with this dish, but if you don’t have it, sesame oil will do.

For US measures and ingredient names, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

Simply Malaysian

Image of Mandy Yin's Savoury Egg Custards — Photo by Louise Hagger

Ingredients

Serves: 2 as a main meal with rice, or 4 as part of a larger range of dishes

Metric U.S.

4 eggs
room-temperature water as needed (see Intro above and method for quantity)
just-boiled water as needed (see Intro above and method for quantity)
½ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons shallot oil or sesame oil
2 teaspoons chilli oil (optional)
1 spring onion (finely sliced)
small handful of fresh coriander leaves (optional)

SHALLOT OIL

200 millilitres vegetable oil
100 grams banana shallots or round Asian shallots (peeled weight) (finely sliced)

4 eggs
room-temperature water as needed (see Intro above and method for quantity)
just-boiled water as needed (see Intro above and method for quantity)
½ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons shallot oil or sesame oil
2 teaspoons chilli oil (optional)
1 scallion (finely sliced)
small handful of cilantro leaves (optional)

SHALLOT OIL

scant 1 cup vegetable oil
3½ ounces banana shallots or round Asian shallots (peeled weight) (finely sliced)

Method

Savoury Egg Custard with Soy and Sesame is a guest recipe by Mandy Yin so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Whisk the eggs in a measuring jug (cup) and note the volume. Add the same volume of room-temperature water to the egg mixture, then add the same volume of just-boiled water. Add the salt and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Carefully pour the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into two shallow bowls, or four ramekins if you prefer making cute individual portions. Cover the bowls/ramekins with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and gently pierce the middle of each one with a knife to create a steam vent.
Place a steamer rack over a large pan and fill the pan with water until it reaches just below the rack. Cover and bring to a rolling boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and gently place the bowls/ramekins on the rack. Cover and steam for 15 minutes.
Gently nudge the bowls/ramekins to check if the eggs are cooked – the eggs should wobble slightly in the middle but not be completely liquid. If they are still visibly liquid, keep steaming until they have just a slight jiggle in the middle. You’re looking for the consistency of panna cotta.
Remove the bowls/ramekins from the steamer. Spoon over the soy sauce, shallot oil, chilli oil (if using) and sprinkle over the spring onion and coriander (if using). Serve immediately.

FOR THE SHALLOT OIL

A little shallot oil adds such magic to so many dishes. I always make quite a large batch, as it keeps well in an airtight glass jar in a cool, dry place for months.

Makes 200g/7oz.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat for around 5 minutes. The oil is hot enough when a quick, steady stream of bubbles rise around a single wooden chopstick held upright in the oil.
Fry the shallots, stirring every 30 seconds or so, as those around the sides of the pan will cook quicker. The shallots will continue cooking in the residual heat, so be sure to remove them from the oil as soon as they have turned light golden brown. This should take around 3½ minutes.
Take the saucepan off the heat. Use a small, fine-mesh sieve to drain the shallots from the oil and spread them evenly across a clean plate lined with a paper towel to stop them cooking too much more. Leave the shallots and oil to cool.
When the shallots and oil have cooled, combine them in a sterilized glass jar to store.

Whisk the eggs in a measuring jug (cup) and note the volume. Add the same volume of room-temperature water to the egg mixture, then add the same volume of just-boiled water. Add the salt and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Carefully pour the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into two shallow bowls, or four ramekins if you prefer making cute individual portions. Cover the bowls/ramekins with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and gently pierce the middle of each one with a knife to create a steam vent.
Place a steamer rack over a large pan and fill the pan with water until it reaches just below the rack. Cover and bring to a rolling boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and gently place the bowls/ramekins on the rack. Cover and steam for 15 minutes.
Gently nudge the bowls/ramekins to check if the eggs are cooked – the eggs should wobble slightly in the middle but not be completely liquid. If they are still visibly liquid, keep steaming until they have just a slight jiggle in the middle. You’re looking for the consistency of panna cotta.
Remove the bowls/ramekins from the steamer. Spoon over the soy sauce, shallot oil, chilli oil (if using) and sprinkle over the scallion and coriander (if using). Serve immediately.

FOR THE SHALLOT OIL

A little shallot oil adds such magic to so many dishes. I always make quite a large batch, as it keeps well in an airtight glass jar in a cool, dry place for months.

Makes 200g/7oz.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat for around 5 minutes. The oil is hot enough when a quick, steady stream of bubbles rise around a single wooden chopstick held upright in the oil.
Fry the shallots, stirring every 30 seconds or so, as those around the sides of the pan will cook quicker. The shallots will continue cooking in the residual heat, so be sure to remove them from the oil as soon as they have turned light golden brown. This should take around 3½ minutes.
Take the saucepan off the heat. Use a small, fine-mesh sieve to drain the shallots from the oil and spread them evenly across a clean plate lined with a paper towel to stop them cooking too much more. Leave the shallots and oil to cool.
When the shallots and oil have cooled, combine them in a sterilized glass jar to store.