Last updated on April 8th, 2019
Eggs are one of the only staples we keep on hand in our fridge. Well, that and cheese. With our ever-rotating drawer of fresh vegetables, we’ve got everything on hand to make these speedy parmesan steamed egg custards at all times. If the apocalypse comes and we get trapped in the house, don’t worry, we’ll have eggs. Eggs sprinkled with buried in cheese.
I wouldn’t put it past me to just melt cheese on top of a fried egg and call it lunch (maybe add an avocado). In college, one of my “specialties” was a slab of thawed boneless skinless chicken breast “grilled” on the George Foreman with a slice of cheddar cheese melted on top and a sprinkling of seasoned pepper to make it look like it was more than just cheese melted on a rubbery chicken breast.
Don’t worry – this isn’t a recipe for cheese melted on top of an egg (even though: yum). We’re getting fancy now, stirring the cheese into an egg custard and plopping in a few fresh veggies. Brunch definitely doesn’t get much easier than these no-fuss steamed eggs. When slowly steamed with broth and freshly grated parmesan cheese, the eggs become smooth and creamy like a savory custard.
This dish is inspired by the mushi mono (steamed dish) from the nine-course kaiseki meal Lucas and Angi took me to for my birthday a few weeks ago. The egg custard (chawan-mushi) that night was steamed with asari clam, Italian salted pork, and a few dainty vegetables. Plus the silkiest eggs I’ve ever eaten.
When I realized Easter was coming up way too soon and I had only chestnut flour pasta and wild rice crackers on the docket, Alanna suggested I turn to The Perfect Egg for inspiration. Back in mid-March, I had the pleasure of celebrating the launch of Spoon Fork Bacon’s new book – The Perfect Egg – over an eggy brunch at the Williams-Sonoma test kitchen with Alanna, Pang, and Ana. The book is filled to the brim with eggs in every preparation imaginable and pages of gorgeous eggy photos that are out on permanent display in my cookbook stand.
Now if there’s an apocalypse, I can make egg clouds, a creamy lemon curd tart, or poached yolk stuffed ravioli (with a parsley leaf pressed into the dough!). Between that and Lucas’s Boy Scout training, our house is the place to go if the world ends, guys.
The version Jenny & Teri share in their book is similar to the Japanese dish from my birthday dinner with some dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. For my Easter brunch inspiration, I’ve put a spin on the traditionally simpler Chinese version, adding vegetable broth, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and spring vegetables.
If shelling peas isn’t your thing, you can feel free to use whatever fresh vegetables you’ve got on hand, or leave out the vegetables all together. No matter what you do, these custards take only about 5 minutes of hands on time – leaving you free to spend the rest of your Sunday morning hiding eggs (or, in my case, shopping at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire).
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Parmesan Steamed Egg Custard with Asparagus and Peas
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable broth, chicken broth, or if you're feeling ambitious, parmesan pea broth
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 spears of asparagus, thinly sliced diagonally
- 2-3 tablespoons English peas (from about 8-10 pea pods)
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus another pinch
- Pinch pepper
For serving
- 1 green onion, cut into thin strips
- Optional: 1 strip of shaved asparagus, cut into thin strips
- Optional: 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Place a steamer rack inside a large pot and add about an inch of water so that the water is just below the rack. Bring the water to boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer.
- In a medium bowl, gently whisk egg in one direction to avoid making air bubbles. Tip: I use a fork and a chopstick to gently mix the egg.
- Let the whisked eggs slowly pour through a fine metal sieve into another bowl.
- Slowly pour the broth into the mixed eggs and gently stir to combine. Add the parmesan cheese and half of the salt and stir to combine.
- Toss the asparagus and peas in the other 1/4-teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper then line four 6-ounce ramekins with a layer of vegetables.
- Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and use a spoon to scoop off any bubbles (or you'll end up with little bubble craters on top of your smooth eggs).
- Cover the ramekins with foil and set them in the prepared pot with the lid on for 12-14 minutes, until set.
- Serve with 1 splash of sesame oil, and garnish with bit of green onion and shaved asparagus.
Karen @ The Food Charlatan -
I will take 3 bowls please. This sounds AMAZING. Also, at least your college meals were cooked and (gasp!) garnished. I lived on cheese and mayonnaise sandwiches on white bread. And cereal. Cooked chicken and cracked pepper would have been downright fancy.
Sarah Menanix -
Haha “garnished” with pepper. I’m fancy, Karen. I also lived on Otter Pops.
Veronica -
Sarah this looks yummy! I love simple quick dishes that look like it took hours to prepare! In that way your guest feel special and you have time to visit! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
jo@jocooks.com -
This looks so good. I’e never made eggs in a steamer before but what a great idea. :)
Nancy -
LOL I’m going to admit this. Your college meals are my “gourmet” meals on the george forman. I need to take a cooking class.
Sarah Menanix -
Hahaha – I should really bring out my george forman more these days though. It really is a time-saver, but it’s been collecting dust for well over two years…
Amy | Club Narwhal -
Sarah, this soup looks so perfectly spring-y! And I love your college specialty–Mine was very similar with the addition of lemon pepper. Fancy, yes? We are big egg people in our house too, and more often than I care to admit, dinner is eggs + whatever veggies we have languishing in the fridge :)
Sarah Menanix -
Ooo – lemon pepper. I could totally get behind that:) Yes! You can throw an egg on top of anything and it’s a well-balanced meal, right?!
Cheyanne -
I am head over heals in love with these eggs! Pinned and definitely making… as soon as I clean the drool off of my keyboard…..♡
Sarah Menanix -
Aw – thank you! Would love to hear how you like them if you end up making them!
Thalia @ butter and brioche -
Steamed egg custard sounds VERY interesting… you definitely have got me curious to know what this tastes like Sarah.
Julia -
This is such a gorgeous recipe!!! I’ve never made custard and am always up for a savory, unique breakfast idea. That melted cheese? Definitely a must!
Sarah Menanix -
More cheese always, right? ;)
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen -
YUMMMM that custard looks somehow simultaneously super decadent yet also light/healthy – how do you do it?!?!?
Sarah Menanix -
It’s totally healthy, my friend. Well, maybe not the cheese…but a little cheese never hurt nobody, right?
Amanda Paa -
whoa, that nine course meal sounds like it was a blast. and i loved your college chicken with cheese meal. mine was typically a quesadilla, or if i was going super fancy, chicken and rice soup. i’ve never had steamed eggs, but i know that i would love them. sounds like a simple technique too. have a great weekend! xo
Sarah Menanix -
Chicken and rice soup soups extra fancy for college days! I’m sure you’d love these eggs too! Can you eat eggs right now? I need to get a list of what you can/cannot eat so I can figure out the best places to take you while you’re here:) And what to have on hand!
ellie | fit for the soul -
I don’t know if you know this, but we share the same love for eggs!!! And omgness can i say this? Those are some sexy eggs in that carton. They’re just so beautiful in pictures aren’t they? *ok that was totally creepy?*
And this sounds like an interesting recipe, Sarah. I don’t know if I’ve tried something like it. Maybe the closest that comes to this one is egg+dried fish soup (korean). Anyway, I’d go to your place any day if we actually lived closer ;))) Any thoughts of moving to LA???
Sarah Menanix -
Ha! Totally sexy eggs, right? I loved when I opened up the carton and the eggs were speckled and slightly different colors! (If you’re creepy, then so am I;) Awww – If only we knew each other when I was living in LA! Except back then I’d have only made you “grilled” chicken with cheese melted on top haha.
Alanna -
Ahhhh! This is such a gorgeous post, from the light to the writing to those cups of eggy loveliness. I want to eat these!
Sarah Menanix -
<3 <3 Thanks friend! Idea for the list: How to Brunch. :)
Carla -
I WANT TO EAT ALL THIS SO BAD. Eggs. EGGS. Give me eggs at any time. I mean, cheese still comes first. But eggs follow closely behind.
How do you feel about tamago? I’ve always been meh on it in the US, but it JAPAN? GIMME ALL OF IT NOW, PLEASE, THANK YOU. I AM NOT A LADY.
Chris @ Shared Appetite -
This dish is absolutely stunning! …and really, it’s the epitome of spring goodness. And if this is the type of food you make for Easter, I totally have to start getting myself invited over to your place for holidays!!