Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Egg Custard)
Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Egg Custard) is a delicate and comforting steamed egg dish made with dashi and filled with a variety of ingredients. This classic Japanese recipe is smooth, light, and easily customizable, making it perfect as an appetizer or side dish.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 1½ cups Dashi broth (360ml)
- 2 teaspoon Light soy sauce ( or regular soy sauce)
- ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
- 4 pieces Medium raw shrimp
- 4 pieces Imitation crab sticks (1-inch pieces)
- 4 slices Kamaboko (Japanese fish cake) (3mm slices)
- 2 Shiitake mushrooms
For garnish
- as needed Mitsuba (Japanese herb)
Instructions
- Prepare the egg mixture: Crack the eggs into a bowl and gently beat until well combined. Add the dashi broth, then mix until evenly combined. Stir in the light soy sauce and sea salt.
- Strain the mixture: Strain the egg mixture through a fine mesh sieve or tea strainer into another bowl or container. This helps create a smooth and silky texture.
- Add fillings and pour the mixture: Place the raw shrimp, imitation crab sticks, kamaboko, and shiitake mushrooms into each cup. Gently pour the egg mixture into each cup, filling about 70–80% full.
- Cover the cups: Cover each cup with a lid. If your cups do not have lids, cover them tightly with aluminum foil.
- Steam and check for doneness: Place the cups in a steamer with boiling water. Steam over high heat for 3 minutes, then reduce to low heat and continue steaming for 13–15 minutes. To prevent the custard from overheating and forming bubbles, slightly prop the lid open (for example, by placing a chopstick between the lid and the pot) to allow excess steam to escape.Gently tilt a cup—if the custard is set and jiggles slightly, it is done!