Savory Steamed Egg Custard (Chawanmushi)
茶碗蒸し ChawanmushiSay it: chah-wahn-MOO-shee
Chawanmushi is Japan's savory steamed egg custard, eaten as a small appetizer in a formal kaiseki meal or as a comforting side at home. A strained mixture of egg and dashi is steamed in a teacup with shrimp, shiitake and fish cake, so it sets into something as soft as silk tofu, savory and delicate, each cup holding a little surprise at the bottom. It looks plain and tastes of the sea — barely sweet, deeply savory, and best eaten with a small spoon.
Savory Steamed Egg Custard (Chawanmushi)
茶碗蒸し, Chawanmushi
Pronounced chah-wahn-MOO-shee
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, egg, fish, shellfish, soy. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dashi (or use 2 cups / 480 ml instant dashi)
Custard
Garnishes
Method
Make the dashi. wipe the kombu with a damp cloth, put it in a saucepan with the cold water and let it soak for 20 minutes. Heat gently until tiny bubbles ring the edge — do not let it boil — then lift out the kombu, scatter in the katsuobushi, switch off the heat and leave for 3 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve; you need 2 cups (480 ml).
Stir the light soy sauce, mirin and salt into the warm dashi until the salt dissolves, then let it cool completely to room temperature.
Bring a small pan of salted water to a simmer, cook the shrimp for about 1 minute, until pink and curled into a loose C, and drain. Blanch the shiitake caps in the same water for 1 minute, then drain and, if you like, score a small cross in the top of each.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat gently with chopsticks, tilting the bowl rather than whisking, so no foam forms. Pour in the cooled dashi in a slow stream, stirring constantly, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug and skim off any bubbles.
Divide the shrimp, shiitake and kamaboko among four teacups or ramekins (about 8 fl oz / 240 ml each), then pour the egg mixture over them, filling each cup about three-quarters full.
Cover each cup tightly with foil or a small saucer. Set them in a steamer or a wide pot over simmering water — the water should be at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil — cover the pot and steam over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes.
The custard is ready when it is just set and the centre still wobbles like soft tofu; a bamboo skewer pushed into the middle should come out with clear broth, not milky liquid. If it still looks liquid, steam 2 to 3 minutes more.
Lay a mitsuba sprig on each custard and serve warm, with a small spoon.
Regional variants
Home and regional versions tuck crab, ginkgo nuts or a small piece of eel into the cup; some families add a few strands of cooked udon to the bottom to turn it into chawanmushi udon, a light meal in itself. Chicken thigh or a strip of yuzu zest can stand in for the shrimp.
Cook's notes
- The classic ratio is one part egg to three parts dashi by volume; measuring the beaten egg (about 5 fl oz / 150 ml for 3 large eggs) keeps the custard silky every time.
- Straining the egg mixture and steaming over low heat are what keep the custard smooth — if the water boils hard, the egg bubbles and turns porous and tough.
- Wrap the pot lid in a kitchen towel or leave it slightly ajar so condensation doesn't drip onto the custards and pit their glossy surface.
Serve with
As a starter in a Japanese meal alongside sashimi and rice, or simply with hot green tea or warm sake.
Make ahead and storage
The seasoned dashi and the strained egg mixture can be refrigerated separately up to a day ahead; assemble and steam just before eating. Leftovers keep a day in the fridge and reheat gently in a steamer.
