Chinese Scrambled Egg White with Crab Meat & Dried Scallops

One of the most simple but beautiful Chinese dishes to make. Delicious to eat too!

If I could, I'd spend more time on this blog than I currently do. As you may already know, I am extremely passionate about homecooking and enjoy sharing recipes that I personally love to cook/eat and hope to inspire people to start cooking more often in the kitchen too. Besides that, there's always so many restaurants that I come across that I'm just yearning to tell people about. 

Too much to blog, too little time... #bloggerwoes

Anyhoo, this Chinese Scrambled Egg White with Crab Meat & Dried Scallops is actually a dish that I always enjoy eating but don't often see at restaurants. A few weeks ago, my dear friend Ivy invited me over dinner and made this dish for me and I was reminded once again by how delicious it was to eat. Love this! After that, I really wanted to make this dish at home too and what better opportunity to do that than when my family came over for Chinese New Year dinner (which you can read about: here).

If I'm not mistaken, this dish is of Shanghainese origin and there's a number of variations to it. Some people stir fry it with fish or prawns or what have you. Personally, I like to make it with fresh crab meat (if you can get your hands on some) and dried scallops to make it extra special. Not the cheapest ingredients to buy but as I said, it's good to cook for special occasions because it's definitely something that your friends and family will appreciate. To be honest, you could substitute with whatever you want, really. 

Besides being a fan of the taste, the other reason why I chose to make it for CNY dinner was because I wanted to cook a large number of dishes and so needed ideas for dishes that are really quick and easy to make. This was definitely that. The whole dish took about 10 to 15 minutes to cook and looked absolutely stunning on the plate, if I do say so myself. To me, this is one of those dishes that I find to be not as common for some reason so I do hope people try this one out and share with others. Seriously, too easy and delicious to make.

Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I did. Also feel so happy to be sharing more homecooked Chinese recipes like these because it does seem like it's been awhile (apart from my last post). Feels like I'm reconnecting with my Chinese roots again -- hooray!

Happy cooking!

Chinese Scrambled Egg White with Crab Meat & Dried Scallops

(an original recipe)

Click here to print the recipe

Ingredients:

25g dried scallops *
2 - 3 tbsp oil
3/4 cup fresh crab meat (optional) **
7 egg whites
125ml water
1 tsp fish sauce
Dashes of white pepper

To serve:
Blanched broccoli
Sesame oil
Black vinegar (optional)
1 egg yolk

* Available at Asian grocery stores
** I bought mine from Victoria Market. It was in the freezer section and about AU$35 for 500g. Expensive but delicious to use for special occasions.

Method:

1. Soak the dried scallops for 2 hours in water or until soft. After that, drain the water and dry with paper towel. Break the scallops apart with fingers.

2. Heat up a pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add the scallops in and fry until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

3. If using crab meat, heat up the same pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add in the crab meat and fry until cooked through. Set aside.

4. Whisk the egg whites, water, fish sauce, white pepper together. Heat up the same pan and once hot, add 1 tbsp of oil. Add in the egg white mixture and using a wooden spoon, mix the egg white around continuously until scrambled and cooked through. Stir in the cooked crab meat, if using.

5. To serve, place the blanched broccoli around the plate. Add the scrambled egg white at the centre and drizzle with sesame oil and black vinegar (if using). Scatter the dried scallops around and top with an egg yolk at the centre. Enjoy!

Chinese Steamed Egg Custard Recipe

A silky, smooth and thin custard topped with a savoury mince. A dish that's very common in many, many Chinese households around Malaysia

One of the reasons why I LOVE my company is that everyone is such foodies, no kidding. What brings us together is that we're all such fatties, which is something we happily embrace. We. LOVE. Food. Whether it's cooking awesome meals for your usual weekday lunch using the office kitchen; or telling each other about a new restaurant we've tried over the weekend; or even sharing a recipe we've tested that turned out amazing. 

Another thing that makes this whole foodie scenario more fun is the fact that we truly celebrate each other's cultural diversity. Which is why every few months, we have this thing called the "International Food Day". Basically, it's a potluck for everyone to bring a dish from their cultural heritage. Plus, we secretly love it even more when some people get their Mums/Aunties/Grandmothers to prepare these traditional dishes -- wowsers. If only Mum lived in Melbourne too so I can kindly ask her to contribute something and pass it as my own creation (as if anyone's going to buy that).

Obviously, we always, always overestimate the amount of food to bring and we end up having SO much leftovers. Personally, I'm not complaining because one of my favourite things about potlucks is (shamelessly) taking home the leftovers. 

Taken from my Instagram: @winceeee

We've honestly outdone ourselves the last time. We really did. Our company is growing, which also means, more food at International Food Day... Yeeew!! This time, we had Italian, Australian, Lebanese, Syrian, Jewish, Iranian, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Russian, Macedonian and Greek food... AMAZING to say the least. Everyone always puts in so much effort (or sometimes, their Mum does haha) that the end result is just too good.

For myself, I always make sure that the food I bring is Vegetarian, just so I can share with my vego friends in the office. Not the easiest thing to do if you're Chinese as we are natural carnivores but I think it's been so far so good. In the past, I've made my Seri Muka (Malaysian Pandan Custard with Sweet Glutinous Rice), Vego Fried Noodles, Malaysian Vegetable Curry and now this, Chinese Steamed Egg Custard (but the vego version). 

These photos are the vegetarian version, using tofu instead of minced meat =)

This dish is hands down one of my favourite childhood dishes to eat. It's a dish that's found in almost every Chinese household around Malaysia, with so many variations from family to family. There's 2 ways that I like to have this:

1) The quick steamed version (that creates a soft, pillowy custard) with the mince at the bottom of the dish

2) Low and slow steamed version (that creates a smooth, silky custard) with the mince at the top of the dish

I've shared the first version several years ago in the link: here

Photo of pillowy version from 2011 

*cringes at old photos*

Essentially the same dish, but the different methods make it feel like 2 completely different dishes. I make the first version at home on for a quick weeknight dinner and the second version when I want to make it more presentable to share with others. Both equally delicious and satisfying.

Anyway, here's the recipe for the smooth, silky, thin and light custard version. With vegetarian version, which is just as satisfying as the meat version, if I may add. 

Chinese Steamed Egg Custard Recipe

Click here to print the recipe

Ingredients For the custard: 8 eggs * 400 ml stock or water * 1/2 tsp salt White pepper 1 salted duck egg yolk (optional) 1 century egg (optional) * Quantity may be adjusted to suit the size of your dish. Ratio is 50ml stock/water per egg. For the seasoning: 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese Shao Xin wine 1/2 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp corn flour 2 tbsp water Few dashes white pepper For the mince: 200g minced pork or beef * 1 cup dried shiitake mushroom 1 1/2 tbsp oil 1/2 brown onion (diced finely) 4 cloves garlic (diced finely) * For vegetarian version, replace minced meat with equal amount diced firm tofu To garnish: Chopped spring onions Fried shallots (optional) 1 tsp soy sauce Sesame oil Method 1. Beat all the ingredients of the custard in a large bowl until well combined. Dice the salted duck egg yolk and century egg (if using) and stir into the custard. Pour into a deep round dish and set aside. 2. Mix all the ingredients of the seasoning with the minced meat. Set aside. 3. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl of boiled water for 20 minutes to let it rehydrate. Drain and squeeze out the excess liquid. Dice to small cubes and set aside. 4. Heat up a pan with the oil. Add the onions and garlic and fry until fragrant. Add in the minced meat and mushrooms and stir until the meat is cooked. Dish out and set aside. 5. Place the dish with custard in a steamer. Steam on medium-high for 25 to 30 minutes until the egg is set but still slightly wobbles in the centre. It is done when liquid doesn't spill out when you cut into it.  Tip: Don't cover the steamer completely with the lid (with about a 2cm gap) so that the steam doesn't get pent-up. This helps to make sure the custard remains smooth and silky.If the steam is too high, the custard will inflate and has lots of pores on the surface.  6. Remove the cooked custard from the steamed and top with cooked mince mixture. Drizzle 1 tsp of soy sauce and few drops of sesame oil around the egg. Garnish with spring onions and fried shallots (if using). Serve immediately with rice.

Kaki Fry (Deep Fried Panko Oysters) and Chawanmushi Recipe

These babies were too hard to resist!

Besides making the Tempura Soft Shell Crabs for the Japanese potluck I had at my place a few weeks back, I also made these delicious Kaki Fry (Deep Fried Panko Oysters) and Chawanmushi (Japanese Steamed Egg Custard) too. 

Kaki Fry is one of my favourite things to order at Japanese restaurants. When it's good, it's REALLY good. I must say that I've been scorned by many horrendous ones in the past with thick/cakey batter and stinky oysters. Although, my love (and stubbornness) for them has always gotten the better of me and I end up ordering them time and time again. As is the case for Tempura Soft Shell Crabs. Hence, the reason for finally making them at home. 

These Kaki Fry in particular were great and turned out better than expected. Huge hit at the party. Making the Japanese Tartare sauce is extra work but worth the effort. If you're pushed for time, serving them with Kewpie Jap Mayo is great as well.

Potluck spread. Well done, all!

As for the Chawanmushi, they turned out really good too. Everyone has their preferences, but I think a good Chawanmushi is smooth in texture, so thin that it almost melts in your mouth with a good dashi stock base and lots of ingredients inside. 

Happy to say that this was all of that and much easier to make at home than expected! I go even further to say that they're better than the ones you get in many Japanese restaurants.

Dashi, a generic term used for "stock" in Japanese cooking is typically made with dried kelp and bonito flakes. Sometimes, with dried anchovies too. The dashi powder I used was delicious and I recommend it for your cooking.

Besides that, I also recommend having a small bottle of the S&B Assorted Chilli Pepper Powder in your pantry for Japanese cooking. Such a great ingredient to have handy, love it.

BIG thanks to Cooking With a Dog for sharing their recipes on Youtube. Definitely my go to source for great, authentic Japanese homecooking. Fail proof recipes every time!

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Kaki Fry (Deep Fried Panko Oysters) Recipe

(adapted from this video recipe by Cooking With a Dog)

Ingredients:

For the oysters:

1 dozen fresh oysters

1 cup water + 1 tsp salt

1 egg

4 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp water

1/2 cup plain flour

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Oil for frying

For the Japanese tartare sauce:

1 hard boiled egg

2 tbsp onions (finely minced)

2 tbsp parsley (finely minced)

1 small pickled cucumbers (or 2 small cornichons, finely diced)

2 tbsp mayonaise 

2 tbsp lemon juice

pinch of salt

To garnish:

Chopped spring onions 

S&B Chilli Pepper Powder (optional)

Method:

1. Rinse each oyster thoroughly in the salted water. Pat them dry with a paper towel and set aside. Rinse and pat dry the oyster shells too for serving later.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the Japanese tartare sauce in a bowl and set aside. 

3. For the batter, mix the egg, 4 tbsp plain flour and water in a bowl until well combined. 

4. Coat each oyster lightly in remaining flour. Cover the oysters in batter and coat thoroughly with panko breadcrumbs. Place all the breaded oysters in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

5. Heat up oil in a pot. Once very hot, remove the oysters from the fridge and fry them on both sides in oil until golden brown. Remove and allow to cook on wire rack.

6. To serve, place each of the fried oysters in a shell. Top with small dollop of Japanese tartare sauce (or Kewpie Mayo). Garnish with spring onions and a dash of S&B Assorted Chilli Pepper. 

Chawanmushi (Japanese Steamed Egg Custard) Recipe

(adapted from this video recipe by Cooking With a Dog)

Ingredients:

For the fillings:

1 skinless chicken thigh fillet 

6 shrimps (shelled and deveined)

4 frozen crab sticks (sliced)

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms (halved)

Cooking sake and soy sauce for seasoning

For egg custard:

3 large eggs 

2 1/2 cups water

1 sachet (5g) dashi stock powder

1 1/2 tsp cooking Sake

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

pinch of salt

To garnish:

Fresh spring onions or coriander

Method:

1. For the filling, dice the chicken thigh to 1cm pieces. Mix in a bowl with a dash of sake and soy sauce. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Heat up a non stick pan and sear the chicken pieces. Dish and set aside. 

3. Halve the shrimps. Mix shrimps and crab sticks in a bowl with a dash of sake and soy sauce, set aside.

4. For the custard, beat the eggs (but not too hard to prevent too much bubbles). Place the water and dashi stock in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.

5. Mix the beaten eggs, dashi stock and remaining custard ingredients gently with a fork until well combined. 

6. Distribute the chicken, shrimp, crab stick and mushroom fillings evenly between 6 small bowls. Pour custard mixture into each bowl. 

7. Steam on lowest fire for approx. 12 minutes. Test by sticking chopsticks in the mixture. If soup comes out clear, it is done. Garnish with spring onions or coriander. 

Super smooth and delicious

Finally, my friend also brought this AMAZING sashimi platter from Suzuran. It was so fresh, delicious and even fatty too. Amazing quality and price. Need to have this again!

Steamed Egg Recipe (clap for joy)

So you know how when you were younger, your taste buds used to be really, really simple. There was once upon a time, when our knowledge of food and taste was so unadulterated by all the complex/sophisticated techniques and ingredients we have come to experience over the years.

You either like a food or you don't, that was it. It wasn't about how it looked, or how expensive it was, but simply how it made you happy/excited from the very first bite, for whatever reason it may be. You would eat delicious food wide-eyed, and smiling.

Mum likes to remind me that when I was younger, I used to be such a picky eater. But then there are those times, when I would walk into the kitchen, and immediately clap for joy at the sight of what was prepared before me, and she would laugh. My excitement and appreciation was uncontrollable. I can tell you now, that till this day, this is still the case =)

There's so many home-cooked food that I can remember off the top of my head that would make me feel this way. Dinners with deep fried prawns, fried nam yu pork, plum sauce duck, ikan masin eggplants, the list goes on (and on...). There's so many of these kind of recipes of my childhood that I plan to revisit and recreate on this blog, so do stay tuned.

This Steamed Egg dish was definitely one of them. Since I was a kid, one of my favourite things to eat was Eggs. Eggs, eggs, eggs... Boy, did I love eggs... I could eat a big plate of rice with this every time and would always secretly wish we could have this for dinner every night. No kidding.

The silkiness of the egg, countered by the saltiness of the duck yolk (placed right at the centre as the "treasure" of the dish), on a bed of tasty mince which had lots of sauce or gravy to go with your rice. Simply, divine. I'm so glad that I can make this dish for myself now.

And what's best is that it's not only delicious, but it seriously takes close to no time to make.

3min prep time + 10min cooking time, it's done before your rice is even ready. Awesome.

On a more technical note, I've always found the perfect ratio of egg to water that will give you a smooth and delicious consistency is 50ml of water per egg. So do feel free to use this if you use a deeper dish or would like to increase the volume of your egg. Also, 10min total steaming time under high heat works best for me. If you find that your eggs still haven't set, steam longer but not too long or they will turn out too stiff and "egg-y". You could also omit the "poking step" by steaming it longer under lower heat but I'm lazy and this is quicker.

Now tell me, what are some of the food that you now, or used to, like eating that would make YOU clap for joy? Anything from your childhood or of late?

Would love to hear the stories behind all the food that still brings a heartfelt joy to you or your family. Hope you're all having a smashing start to the week!

Blessings,

Winston =)

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Steamed Egg Recipe

Ingredients:

Ground meat:

250g minced pork

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp Shao Xing wine

2 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

4 tsp chilli oil (optional, if you like a bit of kick like me)

Egg custard:

3 eggs (your usual 60 - 70g ones)

150ml water or chicken stock

dash of white pepper

1 salted duck egg (optional)

Method:

1. Separate duck egg white and yolk. Combine all ground meat ingredients, including duck egg white (if using). In a separate bowl, whisk egg, water and pepper. Set aside.

2. Place ground meat at the bottom of a 22cm deep dish (approximate). Pour egg custard on top. Place duck egg yolk in middle.

3. Steam on high heat for 7 minutes. Open cover and use spoon to poke all around the egg mixture (to release built up steam in egg). Garnish with spring onions if you like and continue to steam for another 3 minutes (which makes 10 minutes in total). Serves 4 as a meal with rice and other dishes.