I grew up in a Chinese family with savoury egg custard being one of our dinner staples. Those were the days when meat was eaten sparingly (and rightly so too). Velvety and delicate, the savoury custard is surprisingly comforting spooned over a bowl of rice. Nourishing and gentle on the stomach too. There are different ways of making it - plain, or you can add mince pork, or preserved vegetables. My childhood favourite comes with bits of Chinese barbecue pork or 'char siu'. In this deluxe version, I steam the eggs with silken tofu and succulent prawns. The Japanese steam and serve it in individual 'Chawanmushi' cups but that's another recipe for another day.
Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS
- 1 packet silken tofu (300g /10oz)
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup water
- 12 medium size prawns (or 200g / 7oz prawn meat)
- a pinch of sea salt
- a dash of white pepper
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions
METHOD
- Remove heads and shells from prawns. Make a slit on the back of each prawn to expose and remove the vein. Place prawns in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl, beat eggs with a fork for 1 minute or until smooth. Add water, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Gently invert tofu from its packet onto a 23cm /9" heatproof dish with sides about 4cm / 1½" high (similar to the one pictured above). Drain off any water that comes out of the packet as you go. Slice the tofu into 12 large cubes.
- Arrange prawns around the tofu in the dish. Pour the egg mixture over.
- Set up a steamer* and fill the bottom pan with water. Cover and turn the heat on high. When the water is boiling, carefully lower the dish into the steamer. Steam the dish, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, or until the egg is just set and the prawns are cooked.
- Carefully remove the dish from the steaming station. Drizzle over soy sauce. Garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
*To set up a steaming station, click here for information.
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