Vietnamese Mackerel Steamed Eggs

Mackerel Steamed Eggs

This is a spin on the Vietnamese egg omelet/meat loaf called cha trung.  The advantages of this recipe are it is much easier and cheaper to make, because it foregoes the minced pork, tree ear fungus and vermicelli noodles, as well as the layer of yellow egg glaze on top that is really just there for aesthetic reasons. I also like this version more because I find the noodles that pervade the traditional dish nullify the airiness of the steamed egg meatloaf.

You can prepare this dish in ten minutes and steam it for 45 minutes; traditional cha trung needs more babysitting. Pair this dish with a nice pork chop and white rice and you have yourself a sweet Vietnamese meal. Try topping the egg with a couple drops of tabasco sauce when you eat it. It really brings out the flavor of the mackerel.

Flavor MVP: sugar - I've made this once without sugar and it just tasted off.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of mackerel
• 8 medium eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 6-8 tbl fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 3 stalks of green onion chopped (optional)
• black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Drain the mackerel (taking out the bones) and mush up.

 

2. Fry garlic in oil. Fry chopped white onions. Add green onions (optional) after a couple minutes.

 

3. Add the mushed up mackerel and fry all together. Add chilli powder.

4. Crack 6-8 eggs into metal bowl. Add 6-8 large tbl of fish sauce to eggs (1 tbl per egg). Add 1 tsp sugar (more if you want it sweeter).

5. Add fried mackerel to eggs and mix altogether.

6. Steam everything for about 45+ minutes a large pot of water with the lid on. Keep checking to make sure there is water in the pot, if low add some more water. But make sure there is not too much water, or it will spill into the metal bowl and into the eggs.