Announcement

This site will be migrating to a new address.
Please visit me at @Køkken and change your subscription to this blog to my RSS Feed

You Will Be Redirected!

Please do not leave any more messages on this blog. I will not be publishing or responding to any more comments left here. You will be automatically redirected to http://www.atkokken.com All posts have been migrated. You will be able to locate any posts by performing a quick search at my new site. Thank you.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Egg Dumpling - 煎蛋角

Egg Dumpling 8

Egg Dumpling 1

Egg Dumpling 5

Egg Dumpling 7

I was watching Masterchef US on TV last week . One of the elimination challenges was to cook a perfect egg dish using just one precious egg. The contestants had to prepare a dish that sheds spotlight on the egg itself.

Simple as it sounds , most contestants were striving to ensure that their dish turn out to be anything but… simple. As I watched them work frantically over the 30 mins, I wondered about what I would cook with the one egg if I were in their shoes. Possibly the Chawan Mushi / egg custard because it is interesting enough and more importantly, I can remember the ‘Golden Mixing Ratio’ of the recipe. What never ceases to marvel me when I watch reality cook shows like these is that the chefs and cooks never seem to have a need to refer to a recipe when they cook.

With food blogging, there is strong incentive to experiment with new recipes and dishes. As such, I find myself cooking increasingly by referring to new and interesting recipes. I was just chatting among some food blogger friends last weekend and I realize I am not alone in this. We all seem to share the same weakness for cookbooks and we now very rarely cook the same dish twice…… unless, of course if we had failed in our first attempt miserably.

I have always felt disturbed by the notion that I don’t cook any dish often enough to perfect it. The great cooks of my mother’s generation cook without a recipe but they do it often enough to iron out all the kinks and kooks.By then, they would have the whimsical feel of the recipe permanently imprinted in their mind and being. As such when they do share their recipe, they pass on a legacy, not just a set of instructions.

Today’s post is not a legacy, it is just a simple dish that I recall from my childhood- which I replicate without a recipe. The Chinese call it 蛋角(danjiao, egg dumpling) but really, it is the good old omelette, miniaturized and filled with minced meat sauce. This is a dish I would gladly eat with rice porridge or steamed white rice. Wholesome and simple, you can count on this to save the day even for the child with the most difficult eating habits.

Will this get me through the Masterchef Egg challenge? I doubt so – it is just too simple.
Egg Dumpling 8(100)

Recipe :

Meat Sauce refer here.

Omelette
4                eggs
1 tsp          light soya sauce
1.5 tsp       Tapioca starch
1 tsp          Water
Dash of pepper

Method:
1. Wet out the Tapioca starch with the tsp of water. Leave it to stand for 5 mins. If the water separates from the flour, decant the top layer water and retain the flour paste.

2. Beat the eggs in a bowl, season with soya sauce and pepper. Add (1) and stir to combine.
3. In a wok, heat up 1 - 2 tsp of oil.
4. Reduce heat to medium low.
5. Add 2 tbsp of (2) into wok. Once edges are formed, add 1 tbsp of minced meat sauce and seal the omelette by folding the omelette carefully over in half.

32 comments:

tigerfish said...

This dish must be totally new to the three judges and I can imagine the look on Gordon Ramsay! lol ...and you might just go through!

Wooo...Masterchef US is where I watched the young cook made souffle and I recalled making my comment to you when you made souffle!

Zoe said...

my mum used to make this a lot when we were young. This dish brings back great memory. Very nice. Thanks for sharing :D

La Table De Nana said...

Well they are beautiful..I never heard of adding tapioca starch..Good idea!

Kitchen Corner said...

This fried eggs very delicious! It's simply the best serve with a bowl of porridge. My favorite lunch!

Joyti said...

Oo, those look delicious. And, since I have a serious weakness for eggs, they sound like something I have to try.

3 hungry tummies said...

Fabulous photographs as usual... I love egg dumplings with porridge too, so homey :)

busygran said...

Shirley, interesting dish! Will the sauce ooze out when you cut the egg?
Must try with your meat sauce which I've some frozen.

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Judy, I wasn't consistent in my cooking, a few were cooked just enough to leave the inside still larvae like- others were more dry. Yes, if you meat sauce, you should cook this!

diva said...

A gorgeous post..makes me think of the recipes my gramma and mum have shared with me! lovely omelette, definitely delicious with a bowl of watery porridge (especially if you're Teochew)

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

I prefer this kind of simple egg dish to serve with porridge, simple and delicious.

Zurin said...

Masterchef makes me feel like a kitchen wimp and totally inept and boring:( but i like to watch it.

the omelete makes me want to bite in to it to taste the filling...oh my yum!

maameemoomoo said...

This is a staple in my household!

We eat this on weekly basis. Simple or not, this rocks!

Pei-Lin said...

I got to agree with you: I have weak spot for cookbooks and rarely repeat the same recipe for more than twice unless it's freaking good. Haiz ... LOL!

A very well-written post. Oftentimes, it is the simplest that remains the best. Nothing beats simplicity. The minimalist wins many a time. Keep it up!

P.S. Just wanted to let you know. For some reason, your comment on my muffin post can't be published. Maybe I hit something wrong by accident!? (My eyes are sore now due to tiredness.) Thank you for the kind words and sharing your insights! Take care! =)

ICook4Fun said...

Simple as it might be but this a dish i don't mind eating with my porridge. Brought back memories on a similar dish my mom used to cook for us.

Marysol said...

It's the simple things in life that are best. And I'd say you have a great chance of winning the challenge.
I appreciate the delicious airiness that comes through in these dumplings.

WendyinKK said...

My mom used to make this too, with raw minced pork filling that is seasoned as if it's for suijiao.
Long long time never eat this

Maria @ Scandi Foodie said...

I must try making this for my boyfriend, I know he'd love it!

Anh said...

this looks so delicious, and easy to do as well!!

penny aka jeroxie said...

How true that we seldom make a recipe twice. A pity since many of those recipes are so good.

Anonymous said...

Delicious looking egg dumpling! Makes a nice accompaniment to a bowl of porridge.

Von said...

I've always wondered how people on tv cook without recipes too! Especially when it's something like cake!

I love that food bloggers are so alike =) My mum always thinks it's weird that I never cook things often enough to perfect it!

I'd have no idea what to cook if I were to be faced with that challenge! Your egg dumpling might not be very complex but it look really delicious!

Unknown said...

You did so well. I always love your pictures.

Joanne said...

I often think about the fact that I'll never have a signature dish because I never make anything more than once! I do love the sound of this dumpling though. Simple and delicious.

Lily Leaf ♥ said...

oooh! this looks delcious! my brother is a lover of eggs, I must try this out for him! and thank you for reading my post♥ fall is beautiful! I wish I had captured that photo, I didn't have my camera with me that day, so I decided to depend on google images lol. have a lovely day!

Angie's Recipes said...

I remember those homey and delicious蛋饺!!Used to have them regularly...thanks for the recipe.

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

I'm Chinese but haven't heard of this. And what a shame because it looks so good I'm sad to have been missing out. Love that plate, by the way.

Noob Cook said...

simple but good, which is what matters, so I seriously think you'll give the contestants a run for their money with this dish. I love such homely dishes esp with porridge.

Trissa said...

Shirley it was great to catch up with you in Sydney and am so glad you stayed with me. Next time, I am not going to forgive you if you don't make this for me - for breakfast okay? Am sure it will be more tasty than anything at Bills!

Quay Po Cooks said...

No doubt is a simple dish but it bears a lot a sweet memories for many! My mum still cook this for us and she is 75:D

Rabbittrick said...

The simplest recipes are always the best! I remember watching Master Chef recently too, and how the best idea wasn't the one that was the most fancy - it was the one that really worked with the ingredients to its best flavours and abilities.

And how cute are these egg dumplings! I've never made with tapioca starch before.. if I add oysters am I one step away from home made "orh lua"? haha! delicious.

Clare @ Mrs Multitasker said...

Looks wonderful Shirley! I love this dish. And you're so right about the older generation putting in more effort to perfect their cooking. I've found that repetition improves the quality of my cooking sonmuch too, though I don't do it enough...

Smoky Wok (formerly Tastes of Home) said...

I love this simple yet delicious egg dumpling, I'll have mine with rice! you're right on food bloggers constantly trying out new dishes, it is rather are that I will cook the same dish twice unless it's something my family really likes :D

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails