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Chawanmushi
Steamed egg custard
Chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し): silky savoury egg custard steamed in cups with dashi, shiitake, chicken and prawn
Chawanmushi, "steamed in a tea bowl", is served in small lidded cups at the start of a kaiseki dinner in Kyoto, at sushi counters across Japan, and at home on cold evenings: a just-set egg custard made with dashi, so light it trembles, hiding pieces of chicken, prawn, shiitake and a ginkgo nut or two. It is eaten hot with a spoon. Eggs and prawns are allergens. A cup is about 110 kcal. The most common mistake is steaming on a high heat, which makes the custard puff up full of holes; keep the heat low and set the lid slightly open. Chef's tip: strain the egg mixture through a fine sieve before pouring; it removes the stringy whites and bubbles and gives a mirror-smooth top.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the custard
- 3 eggslarge
- 2 cups dashicooled
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirincontains alcohol, simmered for 30 seconds first; or a pinch of sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the fillings
- 3 ½ oz skinless chicken thighcut into 1.5 cm pieces
- 1 tsp soy saucefor the chicken
- 4 raw prawnspeeled and deveined
- 2 fresh shiitake mushroomssliced
- 4 kamaboko fish cake (optional)slices
- 4 mitsuba or spring onionsprigs
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toss 3 ½ oz skinless chicken thigh with 1 tsp soy sauce and leave in the fridge while you prepare the rest.
Step 3: Divide the chicken, 4 raw prawns, 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms and 4 kamaboko fish cake between 4 heatproof cups or ramekins. Pour the egg mixture over and pop any bubbles on the surface with a toothpick. Cover each cup with foil or its lid.
5 minStep 4: Set the cups in a steamer over simmering water. Steam on a high heat for 2 minutes, then turn to the lowest heat and steam for 12–15 minutes more, with the steamer lid propped open a little with a chopstick.
17 minStep 5: Check one cup: the custard should wobble as one piece, and a toothpick pushed in near the chicken should bring up clear liquid, not raw egg. Cut a piece of chicken to make sure it is white all through (165°F) and the prawns are pink and opaque.
Step 6: Top with 4 mitsuba or spring onion and serve hot with a spoon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chawanmushi take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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