Name: How To Make Chawanmushi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 oz Kumbu (Dried Kelp); 7 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms torn in pieces; 4.5 grams Bonito Flakes; 8 Cups Water; 200 ml Eggs (about 4 large eggs or 5 medium); 600 ml dashi; 12 oz Fish; 200 ml Milk; 8 fresh Shiitake Mushrooms (not dried), sliced; 5 oz Silky Tofu, cut into bite size pieces; The Tops of 3 Green Onions for Garnish; 100 ml Water; 50 ml Tamari; 50 ml Mirin; 1 tsp Cornstarch

Description

Chawanmushi is a delicate egg custard from Japanese cuisine. This dish begins with Dashi and we add tofu, fish and shiitake mushrooms for a delicious meal or side dish.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dashi:

1 oz Kumbu (Dried Kelp)
7 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms torn in pieces
4.5 grams Bonito Flakes
8 cups Water

Custard:

200 ml Eggs (about 4 large eggs or 5 medium)
600 ml dashi

For the Bowl:

12 oz Fish
200 ml Milk
8 fresh Shiitake Mushrooms (not dried), sliced
5 oz Silky Tofu, cut into bite size pieces
The Tops of 3 Green Onions for Garnish

Soy Glaze:

100 ml Water
50 ml Tamari
50 ml Mirin
1 tsp Cornstarch

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Instructions

Make the dashi. In a stock pot combine the kombu, dried shiitake mushrooms and water. Heat this until it just starts to simmer. Turn off the heat and add the bonito flakes. Stir and let this steep for 10 minutes. Strain off the solids and let the liquid cool.
Prepare the custard. Mix the eggs gently with chopsticks. Combine the eggs and dashi in a bowl and mix gently until smooth and creamy looking.
Poach the fish. Heat the milk in a frying pan over medium heat and add the fish. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes until almost done but not fully cooked.
Prepare the bowl. Place tofu slices in the middle of the bowl. Top with fish and fresh shiitake slices. Pour the custard mixture around the bowl. Top with more fish and mushrooms.
Cook the Chawanmushi. Cover the bowls and steam in a covered steamer on low heat for 14 to 20 minutes. The time will depend on the size of your bowls. Test for doneness by inserting a chopstick or spoon to see if the custard is set.
Make the soy glaze. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the mirin and tamari and let it reduce for a couple minutes. Make a slurry of corn starch with a little water and add it to the saucepan slowly while stirring. Allow this to cook and thicken for a couple minutes before removing from the heat.
Prepare the green onion. Cut about two inches off the green top of the onions. Cut those into slivers and place in a bowl of ice water to curl. Some of them will curl and some won’t. That’s fine.
When the Chawanmushi is cooked garnish the bowls with the green onions and splash on some of the soy glaze. Serve while hot.