Classic Chawanmushi
A luxurious, delicate, and deeply savory steamed egg custard. Chawanmushi is gently steamed in a teacup, filled with a refined dashi broth and hidden treasures like chicken, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms. A masterpiece of texture.
Ingredients
- 2 Large eggs
- 1.5 cups Dashi stock cooled
- 1 tsp Light soy sauce Usukuchi
- 1 tsp Mirin
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 lb Chicken thigh cut into very small pieces
- 2 small Shrimp
- 2 fresh Shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 2 stems Mitsuba Japanese parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Fillings: Divide the tiny chicken pieces, raw shrimp, and sliced shiitake mushrooms evenly into the bottom of two heat-proof teacups or ramekins.
- Make the Custard Base: In a mixing bowl, gently beat the eggs using chopsticks in a slicing motion. Do not whisk aggressively, as air bubbles will ruin the smooth texture. In a separate bowl, mix the cooled dashi stock, light soy sauce, mirin, and salt.
- Combine and Strain: Gently stir the seasoned dashi into the beaten eggs. Crucial step: Pour this egg mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup. This guarantees the signature silky-smooth, lump-free texture.
- Fill and Cover: Slowly pour the strained liquid into the teacups over the fillings. Cover each cup tightly with aluminum foil to prevent condensation from dripping in.
- Steam: Place the cups in a steamer basket over boiling water. Steam on high for exactly 3 minutes, then turn the heat to the absolute lowest setting and steam for another 12 minutes until the custard is just set and jiggles beautifully. Garnish with Mitsuba.
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