Korean Steamed Egg aka GYE-RAN-JJIM

korean steamed egg.jpg

Fluffy Eggs.

Use the microwave. Seriously.

Do you feel like something warm and comforting? Have no other banchan side dish that’ll accompany dinner? Does your little bowl of rice look sad all lonesome?

Not only is it fast, it’s delicious. It’s comforting and filling. It feels like a dish that someone put care to make.

Not us, though, we don’t have time for that. OK, let’s go.

What you need:

  • Eggs

  • Water

  • Salted Shrimp (SAEWOO-JUT) substition: salt

What you do:

  • Crack eggs into bowl.

  • Add salted shrimp.

  • Mix.

  • Add water.

  • Mix until you get a cheerful pastel marigold colour.

  • Wrap tightly with cling film.

  • Microwave 10 mins for 4 eggs.

  • Stop halfway and stir contents completely with a spoon.

  • Wrap tightly with cling film.

  • Complete microwave cooking.

  • Enjoy.

Notes:

Salted Shrimp: SAEWOO is shrimp and JUT means it was salted and fermented. It smells rather foul, but if you like shrimp, this is a great alternative to the one-note saltiness of… salt.

Although usually used when making kimchi, it can also be added to some soups and stews to adjust the level of saltiness. Think of it like seafood flavoured salt.

It is an acquired taste, so don’t feel bad if you’re really put off by it. Like the stinky durian, most run away from its pungency but fans of the fruit will find their mouths watering at a sniff.

In terms of how much water to use, err on the side of more than less. This dish should be very juicy. The eggs shouldn’t have the same firmness as an omelette.

Try to get a paler version of the yellow you see in the yolk.

Watch out and wear oven mitts and be careful when peeling off the cling film. It gets immensely hot.

A very general guesstimation for microwave time is around 3 minutes for an egg. It all depends on your particular microwave, power wattage, etc. Just stand by in case things explode. Kidding. Just keep an eye on it.

In the middle of the cooking cycle, get it out with oven mitts, taking care when removing the film (the steam can burn you in an instant!). It will not be ready at all.

Don’t worry, you want to gently mix and break up the cooked portion so that you don’t end up with a dry top. It helps with getting the shrimp thoroughly dispersed as well.

Cool off before consuming. It’s meant to be eaten hot, but it’ll be way-too-mega hot right out of the microwave.

Enjoy.

-oppacookshere

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