Chawanmushi: a delicate steamed Japanese egg custard with dashi, chicken, shrimp and mushroom.
About this Japanese recipe
Chawanmushi, meaning steamed in a tea bowl, is a silky custard of egg and dashi served warm. It often appears as one of the courses in a kaiseki meal.
Ingredients you will need
The main ingredients are eggs, dashi, light soy sauce, mirin, salt, boneless chicken thigh. Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.
How long it takes
Allow 30 min in total: 15 min of preparation, 15 min of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
Inspired by Yoshihiro Murata
Kaiseki chefs such as Yoshihiro Murata build meals around dashi and seasonal ingredients. Chawanmushi is a classic that shows both. Read our profile of Yoshihiro Murata.
This is our own home-kitchen version of a classic dish. It is not Yoshihiro Murata’s recipe and is not endorsed by them. For the chef’s own recipes, see their official books and restaurants.
Chawanmushi (Savoury Egg Custard)
Ingredients
Method
- Gently whisk the eggs without making foam. Stir in the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and salt and strain through a fine sieve.
- Divide the chicken, prawns and mushrooms between 4 heatproof cups.
- Pour over the egg mixture and skim off any bubbles. Cover each cup with foil.
- Steam over low heat for 12–15 minutes until just set with a slight wobble.
- Garnish with mitsuba and serve warm.