I Tried Hong Kong-Style Scrambled Eggs, and They Were Unbelievably Fluffy

One of the earliest meals I remember learning to cook when I was a kid was an egg sandwich. I really can’t even call it cooking because my method back then — which was shown to me by my uncle Steve — involved microwaving the egg in a small bowl. Over the years, thankfully, I quickly learned the value of properly cooking your eggs over a stovetop. I grew to appreciate all of the different ways you can cook an egg, and now have a few different versions of my go-to egg sandwich that hit the spot for me each and every time. 

Recently, I came across Lucas Sin and his recipe for a classic Hong Kong-style scrambled egg sandwich that instantly caught my attention based on looks alone. Sin used a scrambled egg technique native to Hong Kong to create a beautifully fluffy stack of custardy eggs that, when scrambled together with corned beef and placed between two pieces of milk bread, looked absolutely irresistible. 

As a note to his recipe, which was posted on Food52, Sin describes having vivid memories of his father waking up early to order scrambled eggs on un-toasted white bread from the deli when he was young. I could relate to the bond food can create between two people, and it inspired me to try Sin’s recipe out for myself. All I could hope for was to do this Hong Kong classic justice. 

Get the recipe: Hong Kong-Style Scrambled Eggs

Being that there are a few different variations of a Hong Kong-style scrambled egg sandwich, I decided to go with the variation that Sin claims is the most classic of the lot: corned beef. 

Start by lightly buttering a skillet and toasting two slices of milk bread on one side. Remove when ready and set aside. In a small bowl, make a slurry by combining potato starch and water, mixing both until the starch is fully dissolved. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, oil, evaporated milk, salt, white pepper, and potato starch slurry. Mix until everything is fully combined and there are no lumps or streaks of egg whites. 

Sear the corned beef on a skillet over medium-high heat and crumble the meat with a spatula until crisp, caramelized, and well-separated. Whisk the corned beef into the scrambled eggs bowl and take care of any lumps by breaking them up. 

Place a nonstick skillet over high heat and add oil. Heat the skillet until the oil starts to smoke, then turn off the heat. Quickly pour the egg mixture onto the pan and start pushing it around using a rubber spatula. You can tilt the skillet around to help create thin layers of cooked eggs while you do this process. Continue to push the mixture around until the egg is barely set, about 10 seconds total. Gather the eggs together and form as closely to the shape of the sandwich as possible, then place the egg in the center of the toasted side of one slice of bread. Place the other slice of bread, toast-side down, on top of the filling and compress gently. Slice in half with a bread knife and enjoy!

Where this sandwich hits its mark is within the attention to details. Only toasting the inside of the bread so the outside is still soft and fluffy, flash cooking the eggs over a hot skillet to retain their silkiness, and the use of shelf-stable meats are all things that tie this whole experience together. Each ingredient is purposeful and I was pleased to learn the process while knowing full well that I would be satisfied with the results. 

It can be easy to get caught up in the business of the day and rush your way through making an egg sandwich, but this recipe taught me the importance of slowing things down and focusing on the details. In the future, I will definitely be trying the other classic versions of this incredible egg sandwich, and I cannot recommend this recipe enough to those who are already fans of eggs and sandwiches alike. Do yourself a flavor and give Sin’s recipe a shot!

1. Take your time and prep. This recipe has a few steps that all require a hot skillet. Before preparing the eggs, make sure to get your bread toasted and meat cooked before beginning. When you have these items set aside and ready, it makes the egg cooking and assembly process perfectly smooth. 
2. Experiment with other ingredients. While the technique of scrambling eggs for this recipe is unique to Hong Kong, an egg sandwich is still one of the perfect meals to try out new ingredients. Trying a different meat like satay, or adding other garnishes are totally your call and encouraged in my book. 
3. When scrambling the eggs, act fast. Once your skillet is hot and you remove it from the heat to add the eggs, things are going to start happening quickly. Stay focused and work the eggs into as many layers as possible before folding and shaping for the sandwich. Remove the skillet from the stovetop if necessary so you are only using the residual heat during this process. 

Get the recipe: Hong Kong-Style Scrambled Eggs