Steamed Eggs with Fresh Kidney Scallops

Sometime ago, B's Lola found fresh scallops (still in their shells!) from the nearby wet market.  It was the first time I saw kidney-shaped scallops, still in their shells!  Lola claims that this kind of scallops were more tender (and more delicious) that the usual (frozen) "Chinese" scallops that we would buy at the specialty seafood store,

Hubby requested a non-fried dish, so we agreed on steamed eggs.

We removed the scallops from their shells, as well as the roe, and cleaned them.  Then we used the scallops and the roe in a steamed egg dish.  We added straw mushrooms and some ebiko...

To make the soft kind of steamed eggs, a strainer is a necessity to achieve the smooth and silky texture.  This tip was given to me by B's Lola.  And, it is true!  I noticed that when I was lazy and did not strain the mixture, the top would have "craters" and there would be bubble holes inside the "custard". 

Anyway, our standard "recipe" is to mix 4 jumbo eggs with 1-1/2 cups of filtered water (sometimes broth, if we had some), and a dash of light soya sauce.  The mixture is strained and poured into a shallow Pyrex dish.  The roe and sliced straw mushrooms (we used canned straw mushrooms) were scattered into the egg mixture.  Steam the dish over simmering water (not on high heat or boiling water) for about 15 to 20 minutes, then place the scallops (decoratively) on top of the almost solid steamed eggs.  Steam another 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the scallops) and just before serving, top the scallops with a dollop of ebiko.  Finish with a dash of sesame oil!  Garnish with slices of green leeks, if desired.

Egg Whites Scramble and Dried Scallops

After making some custard, I had a lot of egg whites left over (4 to be exact).  So I decided to make this dish -

Here's how to make the dish:

1. soak about 1 tablespoon dried scallops (not whole) about 4 hours

2. after soaking, place the scallops in a glass bowl with a thin slice of ginger and steam for about 30 minutes

3. after steaming, discard the ginger slice and let the scallops cool completely then shred them

4. whisk 4 egg whites with 1/4 cup low fat milk and 2 tablespoons chicken stock or soaking liquid

5. season the whisked egg whites with a large pinch of salt and several shakes of the pepper mill (or to taste)

6. fold in the steamed, shredded scallops (reserve some as topping)

7. heat a frying pan (with at least 2 tablespoons of canola oil).  stir fry the egg whites with scallops until just cooked (stir constantly)

8. do not overcook. when the whites are just about cooked, transfer immediately to a serving plate and top with reserved shredded scallops.