Gyeran-jjim (Korean Steamed Egg Custard)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-cup ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot) or small heavy saucepan with lid
• •Fine sieve, optional
• •Heatproof spoon or chopsticks
• •Wooden trivet

Instructions

1. 1

   Beat the eggs

   Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them until no separate streaks of white remain. Do this thoroughly but not wildly. Big bubbles make a coarse custard. Strain through a fine sieve if you want the smoothest texture, especially if your eggs are very fresh and the whites are thick.

   Four large eggs should give about 200g without shells. If your eggs are smaller, measure the beaten egg and use the same volume of broth. One part egg to one part liquid is the home ratio I trust for a soft ttukbaegi custard.
2. 2

   Season the mixture

   Whisk in the cooled broth, salt, minced saeu-jeot if using, and mirim if using. Add half the scallion and the carrot. Taste a drop from a spoon before it cooks. It should be lightly seasoned, not salty, because egg magnifies salt once it sets.

3. 3

   Warm the pot

   Set a 2-cup ttukbaegi or small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat for 1 minute, then pour in the egg mixture. Do not use high heat to hurry it. Fast heat gives you egg foam on top and rubber at the bottom, and that is not a custard.

4. 4

   Stir the edges

   Stir slowly with a spoon or chopsticks, scraping the bottom and sides, for 3 to 4 minutes. Stop when small soft curds begin to gather and the mixture looks like loose porridge. This first stirring keeps the bottom from hardening before the center has a chance to catch up.

5. 5

   Cover and set

   Turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook 4 to 5 minutes more. The custard is ready when the edges are set, the center trembles when you nudge the pot, and a spoon dipped into the middle comes out with soft custard clinging to it, not raw egg. If it looks wet, cover it for 1 more minute.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Turn off the heat. Scatter the remaining scallion on top and add the sesame oil only if you want that nutty finish. Carry the ttukbaegi straight to the table on a trivet. Eat it with rice while it is soft and trembling; it tightens as it waits.

Chef Tips

• •Use cooled broth, not hot broth, when mixing with the eggs. Hot liquid starts cooking the egg in the bowl and gives you little threads before the custard even reaches the pot.
• •Saeu-jeot gives the most Korean depth, but it is salty. If you use it, mince it finely and keep the salt at 1/2 teaspoon. If you leave it out, the dish is still correct with salt alone.
• •A ttukbaegi holds heat after the flame is off, so stop just before the custard looks fully firm. It will keep setting on the way to the table.
• •For a softer spoonable version, use 4 eggs and 1 1/4 cups broth, then cook it more gently. For the rounded restaurant-style dome, stay with the equal-volume ratio and a snug lid.

Advance Preparation

• •Anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Cool it before mixing with the eggs.
• •The egg mixture can be beaten and seasoned up to 2 hours ahead, then kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir once before cooking because the salt and aromatics settle.
• •Gyeran-jjim is best cooked just before serving. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated, but the texture tightens and will not return to its first softness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)