Microwave-Steamed Eggs

Growing up in Korea, I loved gaeranjjim (steamed eggs) in the morning with breakfast. This is a quick and easy adaptation of the old classic. However, I don't get why you'd need maple syrup in this dishi. The classic does not use any sweeteners and tastes delicious on its own. Instead of maple syrup, I recommend adding a bit of sesame oil, which is usually included in the dash. If you want to make it especially umami, you can also add a bit of saewoojut (Korean-style fermented shrimp sauce).

I tried the maple syrup/soy sauce Because I grew up eating the sesame oil version. Eric Kim's recipes are often For Us who grew up eating the same dishes; I don't get why we don't embrace him for this dialogue, instead of the "no, our moms did it this way" auto-response. Anyway the maple syrup is there not just to add sweetness (1/2 teaspoon for 2 eggs isn't much, and is nicely balanced by the soy), but to impart a different (smoky maple vs. roasty sesame) depth. Lovely variation on the classic.

READ THIS if you're struggling getting the right texture. It took some trial and error for me, but a few things I changed helped get the dish spot on. 1. Adjust amount of water used. I ended up using 3/4 cup instead of 1. 2. Use a wider, shallower bowl. My first attempt I used my "cereal" bowl and eggs did not come out silky. 3. Adjust microwave power. This will depend on your own microwave but my microwave is on a scale of 1 - 10 and 4 was the sweet spot. Hope this helps!

I made this for my definitely-not-a-foodie Korean dad. He said I should try making this for my friends. Closest to a compliment on my cooking I've received from him in 30 years.

We traditionally do ours on the stove in a steam bath and it works wonderfully. I can’t wait to try this version and the dashi is genius. I normally use 2 cups water to 5 eggs and better than bouillon chicken stock in the water. Drizzle with soy, sesame and green onions or chives. It’s also excellent with hot chili crunch and caviar.

I wasn't sure how to adjust my microwave so I set it for "defrost" for 6 minutes and it worked perfectly.

Wow! I just tried this. It’s fabulous. I was so excited by the description that I didn’t take the time to read the instructions again. I just mixed boiling water with a teasp. of chicken bouillon, added a teasp. of tamari to it as well as a teaspoon of maple syrup and a dash of salt. Mixed it thoroughly with egg and blew away the bubbles. Microwaved 4.5 minutes on half power and voila, silken eggs. I’ll be adding some fresh chives and sesame oil next time. So much fun. Thank so much.

I can only taste sweet and salty bc COVID, so texture is EVERYTHING. This with a bowl of buttered rice was perfect. I think I’ll go lie back down now.

My gaslighting former roommate only ever made her eggs in the microwave. Every day during the pandemic I’d have to listen to her make these eggs at 6:15am like clockwork. Do not encourage this behavior or you run the risk of being tortured by the remnants of microwave eggs in your sink that your roommate refuses to clean up, even though you don’t eat microwave eggs. It’s just not worth the risk

For those looking to make a larger quantity for a family, we make this on the stovetop--4 large eggs plus 1 can of chicken broth, preferably Swansons regular (not low sodium). Mix well and pour into a heatproof container. We use a Corning-ware square dish. Put on a steamer basket in a wok with some water in the bottom. Cover and steam on high heat for 8 minutes. Drizzle some soy sauce and sesame oil on top. Sprinkle with scallion. I am curious to try this microwave version!

I make something like this all the time! I’ve never added any sweetener. Instead of dashi, I use knorr chicken powder and bit of powdered kelp, roasted sesame oil, tiny dash of light soy sauce (saltier and doesn’t impart as much colour) and white pepper. If you can find Chinese or Korean chives, those are really good as they have more body and a lovely light garlic flavour. The texture is infinitely better if you use a stick blender to whizz the egg and liquids before adding the chives.

Indeed, RoLo, I agree! Eric knew what he was doing, and is not reproducing a specific dish. A touch of maple syrup stands in for mirin used to balance the soy, which together with sake and konbu dashi makes for balanced, elegant umami in the chawanmushi version of silken savory custards. Thank you, Eric!

Great! I've been wondering what to do with all the dried kelp I have around the house.

I don’t know if anyone else found this too watery? I made it with kelp-infused water but a cup was far too much. I also didn’t like what the maple syrup did to it, it must be a personal preference. But I loved the texture, so second time round I used vegetable stock it concentrate, a mere half cup, and then anointed with soy sauce and homemade chili oil I made with gochugaru and crushed Sichuan peppers. It was perfect!

I made this and it was delicious. Is the liquid suppose to be fully incorporated with the eggs? Mine had a lot of liquid. Thank you.