Japanese cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Chawanmushi (Steamed Egg Custard)

Silky steamed egg custard made from dashi and egg, with chicken, shiitake, and ginkgo nuts in the cup.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 4 eggs
• 600 ml dashi
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp mirin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 150 g chicken breast fillet
• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 8 ginkgo nuts (jarred)
• 4 shrimp
• 2 spring onions

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into 2 cm cubes and marinate with 1 tsp soy sauce, slice the shiitake thickly, peel the shrimp, and cut the spring onions into fine rings.
2. Stir the dashi with the remaining soy sauce, mirin, and salt, and let cool to hand-warm — hot broth would curdle the egg instantly.
3. Beat the eggs with chopsticks without whipping up foam, mix with the dashi, and pour through a fine sieve into a measuring jug.
4. Divide the chicken, shiitake, shrimp, and ginkgo nuts among four cups, pour in the egg mixture to 1 cm below the rim, and skim off any rising bubbles.
5. Cover the cups with foil and steam for 2 minutes over high heat, then 13–15 minutes over very gentle heat, until the surface is set and a skewer releases clear broth.
6. Sprinkle with spring onion rings and serve hot with a spoon — the custard should stay tremblingly soft.