Gyeran Jjim (Korean Steamed Egg Custard)

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup dashi or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 stalks scallions, green and white parts separated
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Crack the 4 eggs into a small bowl and whisk with a fork until the yolks and whites are completely blended and look uniform, about 30 seconds.

2. 2

   Pour the 0.5 cup dashi (or vegetable broth) into the bowl with the beaten eggs, then add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 0.25 teaspoon salt.

3. 3

   Whisk the mixture together until smooth and well combined, about 15 seconds — you should see no streaks of broth separate from egg.

4. 4

   Slice the scallion whites crosswise into thin rings about the thickness of a pencil lead, keeping them separate from the green tops.

5. 5

   Chop the scallion greens into pieces about 1/4 inch long; set both aside on a small plate.

6. 6

   Pour 1 cup of water into a pot or large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes — you'll see rolling bubbles covering the entire surface.

7. 7

   While the water heats, pour the egg mixture into a shallow heatproof bowl (ceramic or glass, about 2 cups capacity) and add the chopped scallion whites to the mixture, stirring gently once.

8. 8

   Place a steamer insert or bamboo steamer basket into the pot of boiling water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl you'll place inside.

9. 9

   Carefully set the bowl with the egg mixture onto the steamer, then cover the pot with a lid (or the steamer's bamboo lid).

10. 10

    Steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes, until the eggs are just set on the edges but still slightly jiggly in the very center when you gently shake the bowl — this keeps it creamy.

11. 11

    Remove the bowl from the steamer using oven mitts or tongs — the bowl and steam will be very hot; place it on a heat-safe surface or directly on a serving plate.

12. 12

    Drizzle 0.5 teaspoon sesame oil over the top of the custard in a thin zigzag pattern, then scatter the chopped scallion greens across the surface.

13. 13

    Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds over the top, then serve immediately while hot with steamed rice on the side.

Tools you’ll need

• small mixing bowl
• fork or whisk
• pot or large saucepan
• steamer insert or bamboo steamer basket
• shallow heatproof bowl (ceramic or glass, 2-cup capacity)
• lid or bamboo steamer cover
• oven mitts or tongs
• cutting board
• knife

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