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Steamed egg with shiitake and fox nut

Soft egg custard with prawns and mushrooms on a fox nut broth.

Traditional use

Time
Preparation 15 min, cooking 1 hour
Makes
4 people
Fox nut (qian shi)

Fox nut is regarded as a traditional tonic for long life and strength. With eggs, prawns and shiitake it is a nourishing, warming dish.

Ingredients

  • 1.25 litres chicken stock or water
  • 15 g fox nut (qian shi), rinsed
  • 5 medium prawns (about 125 g), peeled, cleaned and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp rice wine
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 5 dried shiitake, soaked, stems removed, diced
  • 5 fresh mushrooms, stems removed, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped

Step by step

  1. Boil the fox nut in the stock for 30–45 minutes and strain.
  2. Marinate the prawns in rice wine for 5 minutes and drain.
  3. Mix the eggs, mushrooms, onion and prawns in a heatproof dish with the sugar, salt and pepper.
  4. Stir in the broth and steam for about 20 minutes until the egg has set.
  5. Sprinkle with celery.

Tips

  • Two tablespoons of melted butter make it richer.
  • Also good with peas, carrot, sweetcorn or pepper.
  • Instead of prawns you can use a chicken breast.

Registry

Herbs in this recipe

Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.

  • Caution

    Asia · Food · № 646

    Fox nut (qian shi)

    Euryale ferox

    Traditionally attributed effects: a tonic for long life that according to tradition counters ageing and gives strength.

    Ayurveda+1
  • Caution

    Asia · Mushroom · № 145

    Shiitake

    Lentinula edodes

    An edible mushroom. Lentinan from shiitake is researched and used in oncology in Japan; there is little evidence for ordinary shiitake as an 'immune booster'.

    Chinese medical traditions+3

Cultures and traditions

Where the herbs come from

The herbs in this recipe also appear in these traditions.