Egg Custard-Steamed Savory

By KEM77

This was a particularly popular dish during the Cultural Revolution because it did not require oil, which was strictly rationed, and because portions could be increased by dilution so that adding more water meant feeding more people.

The Chicken Butt Bank

Despite periodic crackdowns during the Cultural Revolution, many peasants sur reptitiously kept chickens in their yards as a source of eggs. Once past their egg-laying prime, the chickens, too, were eaten.

Eggs could be sold in local markets and were a major source of a meager cash income. This gave rise to what many re ferred to jokingly as the "chicken butt bank." During extended crackdowns such as the fever-pitched early 1970s, a chicken in your yard could earn you public humiliation and even a "struggle session," in which you could be dragged up on stage in front of a large crowd and denounced.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups (900 ml.) cold water
• Dash of salt
• 1/4 scallion (spring onion)
• 1/2 Tbsp. (8 ml.) sesame oil (optional)
• Sprig of cilantro or parsley (for garnish; optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Beat the eggs in a dish and add one and a half cups (about 400 ml.) of the water and the salt. Mix well. Cut the scallion into small pieces.

Put the mixture in a heat-safe dish with a cover. The cov ered dish should fit inside your wok. Add the remaining water to the wok and bring to a boil.

When the water begins to boil, place the covered dish in the wok and then cover the wok itself. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from the wok. Just before serving, sprinkle the scallion and drizzle the sesame oil (if desired) on top of the custard. Garnish and serve.