Chawanmushi (Savory Steamed Egg Custard)
One of the few Japanese dishes that is eaten with a spoon, Chawanmushi is the appetiser which is almost always served in Kaiseki ryori. The egg is mixed with dashi, soy sauce, mirin and salt, then carefully steamed with various ingredients in it. The texture of the egg custard is so smooth and delicate.The cook time assumes that a steamer or a pot is used to steam. If an oven is used, the cook time will be 25 minutes longer.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 8 small prawns (, head and shell removed, deveined (note 1))
- 80g (2.8oz) chicken (, diced into 12 pieces (about 2cm (2¾") cubes))
- 8 x 4mm thick sliced carrots shaped into flowers ((note 2))
- 2 medium size ((5cm (2”) in diameter) shiitake mushrooms, cut into quarters)
- 1 small chikuwa ((grilled fish paste) stick, sliced into 16 pieces (note 3))
- 4 stems of mitsuba ((note 4))
- 400ml (13.5oz) dashi stock ((note 6))
- 1 tsp light soy sauce ((note 7))
- 1 tsp mirin
- ½ tsp salt
- 150ml (5.1oz) egg ((3 x about 60g (2.1oz) egg), beaten wel)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare 4 x tea cups (or small deep bowls) of about 200ml (6.8oz) capacity (note 8) that can be heated in steamer.
- 2
Place equal amount of all the Chawanmush Ingredients excluding mitsuba in each tea cup.
- 3
Mix dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin and salt until salt is disolved. Add the beaten egg and mix well.
- 4
Place a sieve over a measuring cup or a bowl and pour the egg mixture through the sieve. This will remove the lumps of egg white and improve custard consistency.
- 5
Add equal portions of the egg mixture gently into each tea cup. If there are small bubbles on the surface, remove them. I use the edge of a kitchen paper to do that.
- 6
Bring the steamer to the boil. If the lid of steamer is likely to drip water while steaming, wrap the lid with a tea towel, tied at the handle of the lid.
- 7
Place the tea cups inside the steamer and boil on high heat for 1 minute with the lid on.
- 8
Reduce the heat to low and shift the lid about 1cm so that the steam can escape (to make it a gentle steam and avoid the custard bubbling).
- 9
Steam for about 18 minutes or until the custard is set (note 9).
- 10
You will need a large pot, a plate that will just fit inside the pot, and either 3 small ramekins or 3 balls of the same size made by scrunching aluminium foil (these are to lift the plate above the water level).
- 11
You will also need to wrap the lid of the pot with a tea towel, tied at the handle of the lid.
- 12
Add two cups of water to the pot. Place the ramekins or aluminium balls in a triangle position and place the plate on top of them.
- 13
Turn the heat on high and bring it to a boil.
- 14
Follow step 2 onwards of Steam Using a Steamer.
- 15
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (350F).
- 16
Fill the baking tray with 1cm (⅜") depth of water.
- 17
Place chawanmushi cups inside the tray and cook for 35 minutes.
- 18
Turn the oven off and leave for 10 minutes.
- 19
Chawanmushi should be served immediately with a spoon. This is one of the few Japanese dishes that requires a spoon to eat.