Chawanmushi (Japanese Egg Custard)
Chawanmushi is one of those recipes that uses dashi to make a delicious broth, only this time it's a little thicker in texture, like a Japanese custard.
Servings 4 people
Cost $5
Ingredients
- 1 cup water warm
- ¾ tsp dashi powder
- 4 small shiitake mushrooms dried
- ¼ cup water hot
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp mirin
- 4 medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 4 slices kamaboko
- 4 mitsuba leaf stems
- 2 medium eggs
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of warm water and the Dashi powder into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Next step is to soak the shitake mushrooms in a 1/4 cup of hot water in a small bowl and wait for the mushrooms to soften (this may take a few minutes).
- Cut the mushrooms into thin slices and save the 1/4 cup of hot water that you soaked the mushrooms with for later use.
- This time pour the mushroom soaked water into the Dashi stock; add the mirin and soy sauce and then mix them thoroughly.
- Blanch the shrimp in hot water for 30 seconds and then divide them evenly into 2 teacups (or ramekins of about 230 ml each).
- Divide up the mitsuba, kamaboko, and mushrooms even as well, then save a very thin slice of each of the kamaboko (about 1/8th of an inch thick) and allow it to float on the top of the dish to add color to the cuisine.
- Crack the eggs in a separate mixing bowl and whisk them until they become frothy. Pour in the Dashi as well and mix them thoroughly, then pour it over a strainer and put the resulting liquid into the individual teacup leaving a space about half-an-inch at the top.
- Season it with what’s left of the kamaboko (optional).
- Get a large metal pot and pour water into it until it fills the pot with 2 inches of water from the bottom. Turn on the stove and heat up the water until it reaches its boiling point, then place the teacups/ramekins in the pot, but make sure that the water is at least an inch lower than the rims of your ramekins so that it won’t sip through and contaminate the ingredients.
- Place an aluminum cover over each ramekin so that steam won’t also get into the cup. Reduce the temperature to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and then steam the ingredients for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until it becomes tender or cooked.
- To test, stick a chopstick or toothpick through; if the liquid is clear, it's ready to eat.
