The one thing I have never got right twice running
Eighth version
Start your own line from any of Ana's 8 versions. Their recipe becomes your v1; what you do from there is yours, and their name stays on it. Reading needs no account; making it yours does.
v8 · 21 Sept — Steamed at 82, lid cracked
The changes in v8
Steamed at 82, lid cracked
Close to the best
v8 · 21 Sept · against v7
Close to their best. Worth keeping.
What v8 taught
“Held for the first time in eleven attempts”
So far
Eight versions since August 2025. The best yet is v6, after turns at v3. Last cooked 3 weeks ago.
The recipe
As it stands, at v8
v1v2v3v4v5v6v7v8
Ingredients
eggs
dashi
light soy
mirin
prawns, shelled
ginkgo nuts
What's been moving
Every change has been to the method, never to what goes in — steps 4, 6 and 7 most.
Method
01
Make the 480ml dashi and cool it completely — warm dashi scrambles the eggs
3 eggs480ml dashi
02
Beat 3 eggs gently for 30 seconds, without letting them foam
30 s3 eggs
03
Stir the cooled dashi, 2 tsp soy and 1 tsp mirin into the eggs, 1 part egg to 3 parts liquid
3 eggs480ml dashi2 tsp light soy1 tsp mirin
04
Strain twice through the finest sieve you own
05
Divide between 4 cups, add a prawn and 2 ginkgo nuts to each, skim every bubble
4 prawns, shelled8 ginkgo nuts
06
Steam at 82 °C with the lid cracked for 12 minutes — it should wobble, not ripple
12 min
07
Rest 10 minutes before it goes near a spoon
10 min
How it runs
The method in time — what needs hands, and what can happen at once.
1h 20on the table
1h 21 if every step waited for the last — this saves 1 min. 14 min of it needs your hands.
