Steamed Egg Custard With Blue Crab And Flowering Chives Recipes

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine shrimp, ham, salt, white pepper and mix well. Combine eggs and butter in another bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
• Pour shrimp mixture and egg mixture into a heatproof glass pie dish and cover with another heatproof glass pie dish. Prepare a wok for steaming (wok should have 2 inches of simmering water in it) and place the pie dish in the wok, cover and steam over a medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Spoon dressing on top and serve.

Steps:

• Make dashi:
• Simmer mushrooms in water in a small saucepan 5 minutes, then let steep off heat 10 minutes. Add kombu and return just to a simmer. Turn off heat and add bonito flakes, then let steep 10 minutes. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or glass measure, discarding solids. Cool dashi to room temperature.
• Make custard:
• Beat eggs and 1 1/2 cups cooled dashi in a medium bowl, then whisk in remaining custard ingredients.
• Divide among bowls. Cover each tightly with foil and arrange in a steamer rack. Steam, covered, over simmering water until just barely set in center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand, covered, 2 to 3 minutes. (Custard will continue to set.)
• Prepare crab topping while custard steams:
• Blanch chives in a medium pot of boiling salted water 30 seconds, then transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Pat chives dry. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces and gently combine with crab and remaining ingredients.
• Top warm custards with crab mixture.

Steps:

• Make custard:
• Cook corn in a 1-quart saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and drain in a sieve.
• Purée milk and hot corn in a blender until almost smooth, then force through a very fine sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Whisk in egg and salt and divide custard among ramekins.
• Steam custards in a steamer set 1 inch above simmering water, covered with lid, until centers are set and a thin knife inserted into center of 1 custard comes out clean, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove ramekins from steamer with tongs and cool custards slightly.
• Make crab topping while custards cool:
• Coarsely chop 1/4 cup crabmeat and reserve remainder for another use. Heat butter in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook crab, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in chives.
• Serve custards topped with crab.