Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard)
Local name: 茶碗蒸し
In short: A silky savory egg custard flavored with dashi, steamed in small cups with shrimp, chicken and shiitake, served hot with a sprig of mitsuba. It takes about 38 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 38 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 100 kcal
Texture is everything in chawanmushi, a savory egg custard steamed in a cup. Beaten egg and dashi are mixed at a ratio of about one to three and strained, which gives a wobbling, silky set like a soft pudding. Shrimp, chicken and shiitake hide inside, and it is eaten with a spoon, hot, as a starter or part of a set meal. Gentle heat matters most: too hot, and the custard turns pitted and tough.
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with 1 teaspoon each of soy sauce and sake and leave for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs gently with chopsticks, cutting through the whites without making foam. Stir in the dashi, the tablespoon of soy sauce, the mirin and the salt.
- Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug. This removes the stringy bits and gives the custard a smooth set.
- Divide the chicken, shrimp and shiitake among 4 heatproof cups of about 200 ml (3/4 cup). Pour the custard over, and pop any surface bubbles with a toothpick.
- Cover each cup with foil. Bring about 2 cm (3/4 in) of water to a boil in a wide pot, set the cups inside, wrap the lid in a towel and set it slightly ajar.
- Steam over high heat for 2 minutes, then turn it to low and steam for 12 to 15 minutes, until the custard is set and a skewer pushed in releases clear liquid. The filling is cooked through.
- Garnish with mitsuba and serve hot, eating with a small spoon.
Tips
- Keep the heat low after the first 2 minutes. Boiling water inside the pot puts small holes in the custard and makes it rubbery.
- No steamer? Use a wide pot with a rack, or bake the cups in a bain-marie at 150°C (300°F) for 25 to 30 minutes, covered with foil.
Questions and answers
Why does my chawanmushi have holes in it?
The heat was too high. Steam on low after the first couple of minutes and keep the lid slightly open so the steam does not overheat the surface.
Can I make chawanmushi ahead?
It is best fresh from the steamer, but you can steam it up to 1 day ahead, chill it and reheat gently in the steamer for 5 minutes. It is also good cold in summer.
What is the ratio of egg to dashi?
About one part beaten egg to three parts dashi by volume. A little more dashi makes it softer and a little less makes it firmer.
How long does it take to make Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard)?
About 38 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 18 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard)?
About 100 kcal per serving, with 10 g of protein, 3 g of carbohydrates and 5 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 100 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 5 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 600 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
