Silky Steamed Egg Custard (Zheng Shui Dan)

The story

The test of every Chinese home cook is a steamed egg with a mirror-flat surface. It is baby food, sick-day food, and comfort food all at once — and the secret is not skill, it is just water ratio and low heat.

Ingredients (5 + pantry staples)

• Eggs — 3
• Warm water — 1.5 cups / 350 ml (1.5× the egg volume)
• Soy sauce — 1 tbsp
• Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp
• Scallions — 1, sliced

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Beat eggs with salt, then whisk in the warm water gently. Pour through a sieve into a shallow dish (the sieve = the smooth top).
2. Cover with a plate or foil. Steam over gently bubbling water for 12–14 minutes until just set with a slight wobble.
3. Poke with a chopstick to check — clear liquid means done. Top with soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions.

Swaps

No steamer? Put the dish in a baking pan, add hot water halfway up, cover with foil, bake at 350°F/175°C for 25 minutes.