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Delicate and savory, Chawanmushi is a classic Japanese steamed egg custard served in a cup. Learn how to make this appetizer for a true Japanese home cooking experience. Your guests will be impressed!
Chawanmushi (Savory Steamed Egg Custard)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 3 Tbsp water (for rehydrating shiitake mushrooms)
- ½ boneless, skinless chicken thigh
- 1 Tbsp sake (for marinating chicken)
- 6 slices carrot (thin round slices)
- 6 ginkgo nuts (pre-cooked; optional)
- 1 oz shimeji mushrooms (30 g)
- 6 slices kamaboko (fish cake)
- 4 mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (or 1 green onion/scallion)
For Egg Custard Mixture
- 1 large egg (50 g w/o shell)
- ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more)
- ½ tsp mirin
- ½ tsp soy sauce (Preferably use Usukuchi Soy Sauce (light color soy sauce so the egg mixture will not become too dark.)
- ¼ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
For Optional Toppings
- 2 pieces uni (sea urchin)
- 2 Tbsp ikura (salmon roe)
INSTRUCTIONS
- 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.
To Prepare Ingredients
- 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.
- 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.
- Cut out the carrot slices into a flower shape with vegetable cutters.
- Make a knot with mitsuba like this. If you are using a green onion instead, cut it into thin slices.
To Make Egg Custard Mixture
- Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup (120 ml) dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and salt and whisk all together.
- Then strain the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. This helps to get a refined silky texture.
To Assemble Chawanmushi
- 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.
- 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).
To Cook Chawanmushi
- In a large pot, bring water to boil. The amount of water should cover ½ of the chawanmushi cup. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. 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.
To Store
- 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.
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