Chawanmushi ( Japanese Steamed Egg Custard )
Chawanmushi literally means "steamed in a tea cup/ bowl" is an egg custard dish found in Japan that uses the nuts of ginkgo. Unlike many other custards, this can be eaten as a dish in a meal. This custard consists of an egg mixture flavoured by soy sauce, dashi and mirin with many ingredients added.
Chawanmushi is quite similar to that of Chinese steam eggs, but the toppings may differ. The Chinese version of steamed egg is a lot simpler and usually plain. Chawanmushi on the other hand is loaded with great seasonings and lots of flavourful ingredients buried at the bottom of the steamed egg custard.
Ingredients: ( For 4 servings basic chawanmushi )
- 4 dried shitake mushrooms
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 cup dashi (Japanese stock)
- 2 large eggs
- 12 thin slices carrot
- 12 precooked ginkgo nuts
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
Method:
- Put dried shitake mushrooms in a small bowl, add the water and let it soaked for 15 minutes. When the mushrooms are soft, slice it thinly. Retain the mushroom liquid.
- Cut the carrot into thin slices and shapes using a vegetable cutter.
- Heat 1 cup mushroom liquid and dissolve 1 packet of dashi powder (5g) into it. Let cool.
- Whisk 2 large eggs in a medium bowl. Add the seasonings and dashi mixture into the bowl and mix well.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl.
- Place four empty chawanmushi cups into a medium pot. Pour water until the water level covers half way up the exterior of the cups. Remove the cups, cover the pot and start to boil the water in the pot.
- Divide all the ingredients into the chawanmushi cups: shitake,ginkgo and carrots.
- Using a measuring cup, gently pour the egg mixtures unti the cups.
- Cover with lid or aluminium foil.
- Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low. Place the cups gently inside the hot water and cover the pot.
- Cook for 15 - 20 minutes on the lowest heat. Insert a skewer in the centre of the cup to check for doneness (skewer should come out clean when egg is done). Serve hot.
Note:
- Ratio of eggs to dashi mixture is 1:3
- Steaming time for custard without chicken meat is about 15 - 20 minutes, with chicken meat is about 25 - 30 minutes.
- Use the LOWEST heat possible to steam the egg custard
- Substitution for mirin: 1 tablespoon glutinous rice wine + 1 teaspoon sugar ( turns out well ! )
To make chawanmushi:
Soaked shitake mushrooms
When soft, cut into thin slices
Traditional chawanmushi must have ginkgo seeds
Carrot sliced and cut into shapes
2 eggs needed for making this custard
Heat the mushroom liquid/ water
Add dashi powder
Mix well till dashi powder dissolved
Seasonings for the custard: mirin, salt and soy sauce
Whisk the eggs in a bowl
Add the seasonings and dashi mixture
Use a strainer to strain the egg mixture
Strain the egg mixture into another bowl
Put empty chawanmushi cups into the steaming pot
Pour in water on the outside until half full, then remove cups from pot.
Meantime divide the ingredients evenly into the chawanmushi cups
Pour the strained egg mixture gently into the cups.
Cover the chawanmushi cups with lid or aluminium foil if a lid is not available
Steamed in pot under very low fire
Serve hot when the egg custard is cooked.
As always. ..... ENJOY!
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Simple yet delicious! I would love to have that for lunch.
ReplyDeleteWill love to cook for you one day! Thanks for comment.
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