Steamed Egg Custard
Egg February 8th, 2008
Steamed egg custard has probably got to be one of the easiest dishes to cook but difficult to master and make perfect. Using just eggs, water and salt, you can whip up a nice smooth custard looking dish or one which is less desirable in experience much unlike the craters of the moon if you don’t get the technique right.
The Steamed Egg Custard is just the basic recipe as you can improvise it by adding other ingredients as you like. The Chawanmushi, which is the Japanese Steamed Egg Custard, is a more elaborate version with other ingredients like mushrooms, crab stick and chicken meat. You can always start learning with something simple like this Steamed Egg Custard recipe before attempting the more difficult ones with added ingredients.
This is my wife’s recipe for Steamed Egg Custard
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 250 ml water (previously boiled and cooled to room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
Crack eggs on a bowl. Add salt and water. Using a fork, gently stir the eggs and slowly breaking the yolk. Mix well without beating the eggs as you would want to minimize bubbles from forming.
Pour mixture over a fine sieve into a semi-shallow bowl which is suitable for steaming.
Bring water to boil in a steamer. Place bowl with egg mixture into steamer and gently stir the mixture for 30 seconds. Close steamer lid and reduce heat to medium low.
Steam for 20 minutes before removing from steamer.
Sprinkle with some fried shallots before serving.
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February 8th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Awesome and simple.. but i can never get it right. Mine always got holey holes..
February 10th, 2008 at 2:15 am
Your steamed eggs so smooth…wah.
Gong Hei Fat Choy.
February 12th, 2008 at 6:01 am
I love steamed eggs custard, any versions, be it chinese or japanese
I once made the Japanese one. Check out mine 
February 12th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Agree with Bee. So smooth and silky. No need to bite…just swallow.
Happy Lunar New Year!
February 17th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Mama Bok : I know just what you mean. It is actually NOT EASY to cook this simple dish. Takes a lot of tries to make it perfect.
Rasa Malaysia : My wife’s
Happy CNY!
Mycookinghut : Thanks for sharing your Chawanmushi recipe. Looks really good
Tigerfish : Yup! Even babies can eat
February 18th, 2008 at 7:30 am
If I want to make the dessert version of egg custard, can I just substitute the salt with sugar???? I really love the sweet egg custard dessert I had when I was a child.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Reese : No harm trying. It won’t cost you much
But if you are talking about the egg custard like those found in egg tarts, that is a different thing altogether.
February 24th, 2008 at 7:14 am
I tried it last week using another recipe for the sweet egg custard I found online. It came out alright. I oversteamed it for 2 mins though. Not bad just not as silky smooth as I would have like it.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
to get very very smooth seamed egg - i mix with luke warm water … i dunno why but thats what my father would always do … say 1 bowl of egg to 2 bowls of luke warm water …
April 21st, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Thanks for the recipe! You are right the secret is pouring the mixture through the sieve. And I was lazy, I put the egg mixture in my rice cooker when the rice is about done. Came out really silky and smooth. 1st time this successful after 10 tries without recipes.
Thank you Thank you!
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
sandrine : How long did you place it in the rice cooker? Care to share it with me and other readers here?
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I put the steaming ‘rack’ in the water of the rice before turning on. When the rice cooker click over from ‘cooking’ to ‘keep warm’ immediately I place the egg mixture into rice cooker. Then leave it for about 10 minutes. And to test to if the egg. To check if the egg is cooked, jiggle it, it should shake like a jello.
I think the trick is as soon as the rice cooker click over you have to put the egg in immediately. I think that’s what my late grandma said.
Oh yes, using a metal bowl to steam is helpful too.
Your recipe gave me the right measurements of the egg mixture. Thanks so much!
-Sandrine
April 25th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
sandrine : Clever! Thanks for sharing
August 28th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
This looks easy. I’ll try this for my 2 yr old daughter. I love the soft silkiness of steamed egg.