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.
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Ingredients
- 4 dried shitake mushrooms
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 cup dashi, Japanese stock
- 2 large eggs
- 12 slices carrot
- 12 ginkgo nuts, precooked
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon mirin, or sweet cooking rice wine
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 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.
Instructions
Enjoy!
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Notes
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!)
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!)