Chawanmushi recipe – Japanese Egg Custard

This is not a very authentic chawanmushi but a real easy one. It’s something I like to whip up with stuff I have in the fridge whenever I need comfort food. Let’s call it fusion chawan mushi

The secret to tasty chawanmushi seems to lie in the dashi (japanese stock) that is used. I prefer to use powdered dashi made from kelp, mackeral and shiitake mushrooms.

Ingredients for the custard

• 3 large eggs
• 300ml dashi stock (1/2 tsp dashi powder in 300ml of lukewarm water)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp kikkoman soy sauce



Now here’s where you get creative:

• 2 slices of sandwich ham – cut into small squares
• 2 crabsticks – thickly sliced

Method

1. The ratio of egg to water is 1 egg: 100ml water.
2. To the dashi, add in salt, soy sauce and sugar.
3. Crack eggs into a bowl and gently stir the contents. Don’t beat the eggs so bubbles won’t form in the egg mixture.
4. Combine dashi mixture with egg mixture and strain through a sieve.
5. Distribute ham and crabsticks between 3 chawanmushi cups, then pour the dashi-egg mixture into the cups. Cover cups with aluminium foil.
6. Make sure that the water is boiling hot before placing chawanmushi in the steamer.
7. Steam on very low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes – check readiness by poking a toothpick through the center. If it comes up clear then it’s done.

If you’re in the mood for more preparation, these are the traditional ingredients found in chawanmushi:

• gingko nuts
• shrimps
• small cubes of chicken meat (marinate in soysauce for 15 mins)
• small shitake mushrooms – thinly sliced