March 25, 2012

Scrambled Eggs, Kinshi Tamago, and Chawanmushi/スクランブルエッグ、錦糸卵、茶碗蒸し

Some of the egg dishes that I made recently:
最近作った卵料理:

Scrambled eggs:
スクランブルエッグ:
I used five eggs. I separated yolks from whites, and beat the whites with an electric beater. Then, I added the yolks and mixed with the whites.
卵を5個使いました。黄身と白身を分けて、白身を電動泡立て器で泡立てました。次に黄身を入れ、白身と混ぜました。
I was supposed to be able to make very fluffy scrambled eggs in this way, but I simply got slightly softer scrambled eggs than usual.
こうすると、とてもふわっとしたスクランブルエッグができるはずだったのですが、普段より少し柔らかいスクランブルエッグができただけでした。
I thought I should have made an omelet instead.
代わりにオムレツを作ったほうがいいと思いました。

Chawanmushi bowls with lids:
蓋付きの茶碗蒸し用のお椀:
The recipe is basically the same as that described here. I slightly overcooked the chawanmushi this time.
レシピーはここで紹介したのと基本的に同じです。今回は少し火を通しすぎました。
I also made kinshi tamago, using four eggs.
卵を4個使って錦糸卵も作りました。
The kinshi tamago was a topping for chirashi zushi (< sushi). 錦糸卵は散らし寿司用です。



For the next egg dish, I think I'll make onsen tamago.
次の卵料理は、温泉卵にしようと思います。

11 comments:

Sissi said...

Beaten egg whites! I'm impressed. I have never seen it in scrambled eggs. Do you ever add milk to scrambled eggs? Many years ago a friend told me to do so and I feel scrambled eggs are moister thanks to milk. U have been adding it since the first time I tried.
Another delicious way is to add cream, but then it becomes a bit heavy ;-)
Sunday is the day when I often crave eggs. I have made oyakodon for my husband today (my Sunday brunch dish is now okonomiyaki, I'm addicted! I realise I always have basic ingredients to make it in the fridge and then of course I add what I want so it has become a perfect leftovers dish!).
My chawanmushi is always too thick (or overcooked, or both). I have never managed to make it as smooth and delicate as it should be...

Fräulein Trude said...

Wow, you made a whole collection of egg dishes. Are we going to have an egg meme? That would be fun.
I simply add milk to the eggs for scrambled eggs and let the egg batter rise at lower heat before scrambling starts.

Egg custards are quite tricky.

Arthur3030 said...

I think that some of the softest-ever scrambled eggs come from the classic Chinese cookbook by Irene Kuo (the recipe for egg-fried rice).
Break room temperature eggs into a bowl and mix lightly. Don't whip or over stir. (Add a little salt, if you like.)
In a hot wok or frying pan, add a small amount of oil. When the oil is hot, pour in the eggs. Do not stir or scramble.
Tilt the pan up so that ingredients want to slide down toward you. With a flat spatula, push the liquid eggs up the side away from you and let them slide back down. Repeat until the eggs are about 3/4 done.
Remove to a bowl. They'll finish cooking with their own heat.
(I haven't seen this recipe in 20 years. But this is basically correct.)

Yangsze said...

How interesting! I used to make scrambled eggs with milk but now I just use plain eggs. My way of doing it is very similar to the recipe posted by Arthur3030.

I put a little butter in a nonstick pan, beat the eggs lightly, then pour in. As soon as it begins to set, I push the egg mixture around the pan, letting it just set again and pushing it. I don't use particularly low heat either, just medium heat. I also sprinkle grated cheese on it. This is a fast way of making creamy scrambled egg with large curds. Don't overcook it! I really love to eat eggs and hear other peoples' recipes.

Anonymous said...

Hiroyuki-san, have you tried using a water bath for cooking chawanmushi? Water baths can be used to make smooth and silky custards, puddings and delicate cheesecakes. I wonder if the same technique can be applied to chawanmushi...

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: I learned the "beaten egg whites" idea from the last episode of the TV drama, Hungry (laugh). I was disappointed by the results.

I don't add milk to scrambled eggs. I used to add milk to eggs to make an omelet, but any longer.

I don't like to make my scrambled eggs heavy, so I don't add any. Besides, fresh cream is rather expensive here in Japan.

Kiki: I'm going to make various egg dishes from now on, because I'm fed up with my picky children.

Arthur3030 and YSC: Thank you for your recipes. I will try them in the near future.

Anonymous: No, I haven't. I did some googling and found some people make chawanmushi like you do. I think it's worth a try!

Fräulein Trude said...

Picky children can be quite annoying I bet. Never had to deal with such. The only things my child did not eat were steamed/poached fish and asparagus.

Cheryl said...

For fluffier scrambled eggs, try using a heat-resistant silicone spatula rather than hashi when you cook them. The less you move the eggs while you're cooking them, the fluffier they will be (even without whipping the egg whites first).

I use a method similar to this one on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGyb7uBXe9E

Hiroyuki said...

Cheryl: Thank you for the link. I will try your method, too.

muskratbyte said...

I visited a restaurant in New Orleans, who were famous for their omelets. (MASSIVELY HUGE!) They were the lightest, fluffiest eggs I'd ever had, and they were willing to share their secret. They also make pancakes there; so they stir a small amount of the unsweetened pancake mix into the eggs before making omelet.

Hiroyuki said...

muskratbyte: Thanks for sharing the information!

I knew some recipes for atsuyaki tamago and kinshi tamago call for a small amount of flour, so I suppose adding pancake mix (flour + baking powder?) will make fluffier omelet.

I will try your recipe, too. Thanks again.