Korea · 30 min · Fish · Side dish · For confident cooks
Gyeranjjim
In German: Koreanischer gedämpfter Eierstich · In English: Korean Steamed Eggs
For 2 servings · US units
Korean steamed eggs, cloud-soft, with fish sauce and kombu stock
Gyeranjjim might be the kindest thing you can do to an egg: steamed until just set, loosened with kombu or anchovy stock, soft enough for a spoon to sink straight in. In Korea it's classically made in a tteukbaegi, the earthenware pot, and brought to the table in it as a side dish alongside whatever else is going. It asks for little more than a bit of patience while it steams, takes almost any add-in you have to hand, and is good all year round.
Ingredients
- 4Eggbeaten and passed through a sieve
- ¾ cupWateror anchovy/kombu stock, to thin the egg mixture
- 1 tspor saeujeot (salted shrimp paste) for seasoningA clear, amber seasoning sauce made from salted, fermented fish, in Korea usually anchovies; very salty and deeply savoury.Substitute: Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce can be used one for one; it tastes slightly different but works well. There is no true fish-free substitute: light soy sauce with a pinch of salt provides salt and some savouriness, but not the fermented fish note.Read more
- Saltto taste
- ⅓ ozsoak in water for 15 minutes to make the stock (optional)Caution: Kombu is very high in iodine, so a small piece is enough for a stock, and the cooked kelp itself should be eaten only occasionally and in small amounts, especially by people with thyroid conditions.Dried kelp in stiff, dark green sheets, used mainly to steep in stock, which it gives a deep, rounded savouriness.Substitute: There is no equivalent substitute. A few dried shiitake also give a stock savoury depth, but taste noticeably earthier and colour it dark; instant dashi granules are a stopgap, but usually contain fish and taste stronger and saltier.Read more
- ⅓ ozSpring onionfinely chopped, stirred in (optional)
- ½ ozCarrotfinely chopped (optional)
- 1 tbspOnionfinely chopped (optional)
- 1 tbspMushroomsfinely chopped (optional)
- 1 tbspShrimpchopped, plus one whole shrimp for garnish (optional)
- 3½ ozCanned tunadrained, stirred into the egg mixture (optional)
- 1 tspto grease the dish, prevents sticking and adds aroma (optional)Dark oil pressed from toasted sesame seeds, with a strong, nutty, roasted aroma; usually added at the end in small amounts as a seasoning.Substitute: There is no real substitute, as no other oil carries the roasted aroma; at a pinch, a neutral oil with freshly pan-toasted, crushed sesame seeds helps, though the flavour stays clearly weaker.Read more
- Sugarsmall pinch to round off (optional)
- Black pepperto taste (optional)
Method
- Make the kombu stockSoak the kombu in the water for 15 minutes, then lift it out; the soaking water is your stock. If you'd rather, use anchovy stock or simply plain water.
- Beat and strain the eggsBeat the eggs thoroughly and push them through a sieve so the stringy bits of white stay behind and the finished custard comes out smooth.
- Add the stock and seasonStir the stock into the eggs and season with fish sauce or saeujeot and salt; add a small pinch of sugar and a little black pepper if you like.
- Stir in vegetables or fillingsFinely chop spring onion, carrot, onion, mushrooms or shrimp and stir them in — or fold through drained canned tuna instead.
- Oil and fill the dishBrush the dish with a thin film of sesame oil and fill it no more than 80 percent full, so the eggs have room to rise as they cook.
- Steam the custard until setHeat water in a pot or steamer, set the dish inside, cover and let it set over medium to low heat for about 10 to 20 minutes, until the mixture is just firm.
- Top with the garnishAdd the garnish — a whole shrimp, say, or a little spring onion — only in the last moments of cooking, or it will sink.
- Serve warm in the dishServe the eggs warm and straight away, ideally in the dish they cooked in.
Tips and variations
If you're steaming the dish in a pot of water, lay a cloth on the base of the pot so the dish doesn't rattle. The microwave gets it done faster: cover the dish and cook it for about 5 minutes. A hot tteukbaegi does the job on the stove: bring the mixture to the boil for 3 minutes, then cover it and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes to finish. You can also cook it straight in a pot by stirring the egg mixture over low heat, covering it once it's half set and letting it finish cooking. For seasoning, take your pick between anchovy fish sauce, sea salt with a little sugar, or saeujeot with salt and pepper. Serve gyeranjjim hot in the earthenware pot as a side dish, for everyone at the table to spoon from.
Allergens
Contains: Eggs, Fish
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Crustaceans, Sesame
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
