Master Silky Steamed Eggs, From Junzi Culinary Director Lucas Sin

Chawanmushi, gyeranjjim, zhengshuidan — steamed eggs appear with countless regional variations across east Asian cultures. In Japan, chawanmushi is a vessel for seafood, mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables; Korean steamed eggs are a bit fluffier, and a beautiful glossy egg is what you’ll see in other versions.

For Eater Young Gun Lucas Sin (’19), it’s a sublime experience no matter what. It’s admittedly taken Sin many, many attempts to perfect his version of the steamed egg, which he prefers with a touch of scallions, soy, and XO sauce. But there’s a big degree of customization here; any type of stock can be used in place of water, and toppings can range from warm, leafy salads and yucca chips, to herbs and caviar.

To save you many trials, Sin’s sharing his base recipe below to get you started, which he also demonstrated on Instagram as part of Eater at Home.

Perfect Steamed Egg

This recipe is born out of many, many trials and an eager search for minimalist egg perfection that can be accomplished at home.

Makes one serving

1 egg
¹⁄₂ cup water, stock, or dashi
Generous pinch of salt
Your toppings of choice

Crack the egg open into a microwave-safe bowl. Beat vigorously until well combined. Add salt and water (or stock or dashi) and mix until very well combined with no strands of yolk or white visible.

Remove bubbles from top of egg mixture with a spoon or a blow torch.

Place a plate on the bowl upside down to act as a lid. In a 700W microwave, heat for 2 minutes and 30 seconds at 80% power. Check the consistency of the custard. The egg should be barely set and jiggle easily. If not, microwave in additional 30 second increments until the egg has barely set and is the color and texture of softened butter.

Remove and garnish with your toppings of choice.