I have Chinese blood by association—in mí familia—the same as family.
The father of my nine oldest brothers and sisters was Chinese-Peruvian (our mom married my father and had four more children, including me). The Chinese food influence was already ever present in Lima, but that family connection is partly why so many of my favorite comfort foods have Chinese roots—especially snacks.
My mom once woke up in the middle of the night and heard someone in the kitchen rustling around. I was too little to reach the counter, so she found me on a chair leaning over the stove. I love eggs, always have, and was frying one up. I slid the fried egg into a bowl with a little soy sauce and leftover rice to sop up all the juices, and went back to bed after I ate it. I had no idea my mom was watching me quietly from around the corner to make sure I was safe.
After that, I started spending a lot more time on kitchen chores with my mom. I’m not sure whether she was worried I might get up and start a fire (probablemente), or just had a sense that I would come to love cooking. Maybe a little of both. I still love a fried egg, but one of my favorite Chinese-influenced snacks, and one of the first mi mamá taught me to make, is still these simple steamed eggs.
The only trick is getting the ramekin or other baking dish out of the pot of simmering water. When I was little, I would get so excited that I would sometimes burn my hands when I reached in with just a towel (not a good idea). Use tongs, and hold them firmly shut around the ramekin so it doesn’t slip, or even better, use the slip-proof clamp tongs for canning and preserving. If you wake up the whole house while you are rustling around and suddenly need more than one late-night snack, use a larger pot that will fit several ramekins and increase the cooking time by a few minutes.
Break one egg into a small, lightly oiled ramekin, fill one half of the eggshell with a little stock (fish, chicken, or whatever you have around), and pour the stock (about 1 tablespoon) into the ramekin. Add a pinch of salt and mix everything together with chopsticks or a fork so the egg yolk gets all excited and runny. Cover the egg-filled ramekin snugly with a piece of foil and arrange one corner of the foil along the top edge of the ramekin so it is easy to lift and peek in as the egg cooks. Put the ramekin into a small pot and fill the pot with enough water so it comes a good way up the sides of the ramekin. Bring the water to a low boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the egg has the texture of a very moist custard, or is cooked however you like. Check on the egg after 4 minutes, but it usually takes a good 5 to 6 minutes. The ramekin will dance around the pot to the beat of the simmering water as the egg steams. (While the egg steams, heat up a little leftover rice to eat alongside.) Top the egg custard with a few dashes of soy sauce and scoop it on top of the rice. Pour a drizzle of good-quality olive oil and sprinkle a few diced scallions or spicy peppers on top. Makes 1 really good late-night snack.