Chawanmushi (Savory Steamed Egg Custard)

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients. I use 2 chawanmushi cups (each can fill up to 200 ml). Please note that the size of the cups matters for cooking time. Also, do not choose thick cups as the heat doesn't go through the cup easily.

Step 2

In a small bowl, put 2 dried shiitake mushrooms and 3 Tbsp water and rehydrate for 15 minutes. When shiitake becomes soft and rehydrated, squeeze water out and slice them thinly. Tip: This liquid is shiitake dashi. If you want to use this shiitake dashi as a part of your dashi in this recipe, remove 2 Tbsp from ½ cup dashi, and replace it with 2 Tbsp shiitake dashi.

Step 3

Cut chicken thigh into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces and put them in a bowl. Add 1 Tbsp sake and set aside for 15 minutes.

Step 4

Cut out the carrot slices into a flower shape with vegetable cutters.

Step 5

Make a knot with mitsuba like this. If you are using a green onion instead, cut it into thin slices.

Step 6

Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup (120 ml) dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and salt and whisk all together.

Step 7

Then strain the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. This helps to get a refined silky texture.

Step 8

Divide all the ingredients into 2 chawanmushi cups; I started with chicken, shiitake mushrooms, ginkgo nuts, and shimeji mushrooms. Then put more colorful ingredients like carrot, kamaboko, and mitsuba on top.

Step 9

Gently pour the egg mixture into the cups, keeping some ingredients uncovered with the egg mixture. If you see air bubbles, remove them with a spoon or pop with a skewer. Cover with the chawanmushi lid (or cover with aluminum foil).

Step 10

In a large pot, bring water to boil. The amount of water should cover ½ of the chawanmushi cup. When boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest heat. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest heat. Gently place the cups inside the hot water and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for 25-30 minutes on the lowest heat. If you do not add the chicken, the cooking time should only be 15-20 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the egg custard. If clear liquid comes out, it's done. Serve warm. You can serve it with uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe) on top. That's how we like to eat chawanmushi.

Step 11

You can keep the leftovers in a chawanmushi cup and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, steam for 2 minutes.