Old Egg

Chinese do not have ovens, so the Chinese version of a soufflé is done on top of the stove in a heavy, covered pot. It is a dish with a country flavor and a rather dense, chewy consistency I find utterly delicious. “Old Egg” refers to the length of time the eggs take to puff up. It was a nickname given by Po-Fu, the head of our Chinese household, who liked to cook it on lazy, cold-weather nights. Ours was the only home in which I ever ate it, and the only recipe I have ever seen for anythin