Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Custard

INGREDIENTS

• 2 chicken tenders (skip for vegetarian)
• 1 Tbsp sake (for marinating the chicken)
• 8 slices kamaboko (fish cake) (skip for vegetarian)
• 1.8 oz shimeji mushrooms (roughly ½ package)
• 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (or 1 green onion/scallion)
• 8 ginkgo nuts (pre-cooked; optional)

For the Custard

• 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
• 1¾ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (approximately; calculate the exact amount in the instructions; use Kombu Dashi for vegetarian)
• 1 tsp mirin
• 1 tsp soy sauce (use light-colored usukuchi soy sauce, preferably)
• ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS 

Before You Start…

1. Each of my chawanmushi cups holds up to 200 ml. Please note that the size of the cups affects the cooking time. Do not choose cups with thick walls as the heat won‘t penetrate them easily. You can use aluminum foil to cover the cups if they don‘t have lids.

To Prepare the Hot Water Bath

• In a large pot, place the chawanmushi cups (with their lids on) to make sure they fit in the pot. Then, pour enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups. Remove the cups and cover the pot with a lid. Bring the water to a boil and turn off the heat. Meanwhile, prepare the ingredients.

To Prepare the Ingredients

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Cut 2 chicken tenders into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces and put them in a tray or bowl. Add 1 Tbsp sake to coat the chicken pieces and set aside for 10 minutes.
3. Cut your 8 slices kamaboko (fish cake) thinly. Trim off the bottom of 1.8 oz shimeji mushrooms and separate them into small clusters.
4. Make a knot in each stem of 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (see photo). If you are using green onion instead, cut it into thin slices.