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Scrambled eggs are more than just eggs scrambled. The temperature, cook time, and add-ins transform the end result. Low heat, lightly stirred in the pan until just-set is often our go-to. But the Hong Kong Egg Scramble from the cookbook Salt Sugar MSG—one of the new titles we’re most excited about this spring—brings the soft scramble to an even richer dimension.
Calvin Eng and Phoebe Melnick’s recipe emulates the type of eggs you’d find on the menu at a Cha Chaan Teng, an unfussy eatery that serves Western-style diner fare augmented by Cantonese tastes. These restaurants are a distinctive part of Hong Kong’s culinary landscape, enough that government officials once tried to get them designated as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
The Cha Chaan Teng influence here is evident in the ingredients list. To give the scramble a silky texture, Eng and Melnick doctor them up with two crucial additions: cornstarch and evaporated milk. Cornstarch is a staple in Chinese cooking for making sauces thick and glossy (like in Kung Pao Chicken). In the eggs it functions similarly as a thickening agent, encouraging structure and buffering against overcooking. This means moist and tender eggs, even if you overdo it a little on the heat or time.
Evaporated milk, the dairy of choice for Hong Kong–style milk tea, adds a nutty, caramel-like creaminess. It’s a deeper flavor than you’d get from fresh milk, and is conveniently shelf-stable (you can find it in the baking aisle of most grocery stores). It’ll keep for up to five days after opening, so put the extra towards mac and cheese and Karak Chai.
Finishing the scramble with a simple flourish of MSG, white pepper, and salt, underscores the innate savoriness of the eggs. After a few pushes with a spatula in a pan of sizzling butter, you’re left with golden curds that are somehow both airy and custard-like.
From there, options abound. Mound the eggs on top of white rice with some thinly sliced scallions and/or quick-pickled cucumbers. Nestle them alongside buttered toast with a few slices of bacon or DIY sausage patties. Frankly, they’re good enough to eat solo, but Eng and Melnick’s recommendation to eat them on a milk bun with ham and melted American cheese is not to be ignored.
