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Photo shows a bowl of Chawanmushi
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5 from 1 vote

How To Make Chawanmushi

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.
Prep Time30 minutes
Active Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Custard
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Japanese
Keyword: Gluten free, japanese custard
Yield: 2 Dinner size servings or up to 8 side dishes
Calories: 579kcal
Author: 2 Cooks in the Kitchen

Materials

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

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.

Video

Nutrition information below may not be exact. Consult a dietician if you have allergies or reaction to foods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Bowl | Calories: 579kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 481mg | Sodium: 2915mg | Potassium: 1384mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 751IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 443mg | Iron: 6mg