Savory Custard (翠塘豆腐)

I made this dish the other night when some friends came over for dinner, and we called this an "adult dish", because all the adults enjoyed it but the kids didn't. I assume the taste of this dish is not as exciting as some others to the kids; however, I find this dish is so soothing and delicious. It is also a good hosting dish, because the steamed custard helps to retain the temperature of the dish through out the meal.

This super easy dish has two parts: the bottom steamed custard and the toppings. I used a recipe from a popular celebrity chef for the custard which never fails. The toppings need a very thick cornstarch water to finish, as the tofu will keep sweating. 

Here is the Savory Custard from my kitchen:

Ingredients

For the steamed custard:

4 eggs

1 can of chicken broth 412 ml

For the toppings:
1/2 cup of each of the following ingredients all diced into about 1cm cubes:

silk tofu

Zucchini, about one small one

mushroom, any kind

about 6 shrimp, shelled
1 tbs. of cornstarch
2 tsp. of cold water
salt to taste

How

1. Use paper towel to dry the shrimp completely before dicing it. Place the diced shrimp in a small bowl and marinade it with a dash of salt and sesame oil. Let it marinade while getting the steamed custard ready.
2. Mix the cornstarch and cold water together and set aside.
3. To make the steamed custard, beat the eggs until it is just mixed. Add in the chicken broth and beat again until it is just combined. Do not over beat the mixture.
4. Pour the egg mixture into a wide dish that can fit into your steamer. Cover the dish tight with plastic wrap. Add the dish into the steamer when the water boils and steam it for 6-7 minutes on medium high heat. At the end, check the custard by gently shake the dish. If the middle is still runny, steam for another minute. When done, remove it from the steamer, set aside and keep it warm.
   
5. To make the topping, heat up a pan and stir fry the shrimp on medium high heat until the shrimp is semi-cooked. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. 
6. In the same pan, stir fry the mushroom with some oil for one minutes. Add in the zucchini and stir fry for another minute. Add salt to taste.
7. Add shrimp and tofu then gently stir everything together and slowly add the cornstarch water while continue stirring.
8. To serve, remove the plastic wrap from the steamed custard and pour the hot toppings over the custard. Serve hot.