Steamed Egg (계란찜)

Yesterday, we had 11 eggs in the house. Today, we have none. I used 9 for the baby shower cake and my sister used two for pancakes. I was at the store twice yesterday, once after I used all the eggs, but didn't think to buy more because I was frantically trying to get home in time to finish the cake. So this morning, my sister didn't have any to make pancakes (she used flaxseed meal instead) and I didn't have any to make Lemon Pull-Apart Coffee Cake. Sad! No access to a car today, so I had to postpone that even longer than I already have.

We do try to keep eggs in stock all the time as it makes a frequent appearance in my baking. But not so much in our meals, which is sad because they are a great source of protein and there are a variety of ways to eat them! My breakfast one year in high school was rice and a fried egg. My parents ate egg and ham bagel sandwiches for breakfast for a while. I sometimes eat two eggs over easy, home fries, and fruit as an easy, simple meal. But before I discovered that nothing can beat breaking into a runny yolk, my favorite way to eat eggs were steamed. Steamed Egg is a staple side dish for our family. Whisking together eggs, water, and a bit of salt will yield a custard-type dish. Originally, in order to get the salty flavor, Koreans use salted fermented shrimp called Saewoojut, but it's hard to come by unless you're shopping at an Asian mart, so you can just use salt.



Because of the custard texture, it's best to eat this with a spoon. However, when my sister and I were younger, we would always compete against who could pick up more with chopsticks. At one point, I think it got too extreme because I remember my parents telling us to stop. I'm sure they just wanted to eat some, too, and stop us from hogging the whole dish.



Steamed Egg (계란찜)
From Maangchi

3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 scallion, chopped

In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add water and salt and mix well. Place chopped scallion on top. Do not mix.

In a large shallow pot, pour about 2 cups water. Place bowl with egg mixture in the center of the pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium, cover with lid, and steam for 15 minutes.

Alternative method: Put bowl with egg mixture into the microwave and cook it for 5 minutes. Make sure the bowl is microwavable.