Chawanmushi is a delicate Japanese savory egg custard made by gently steaming eggs blended with dashi broth and seasonings. Unlike sweet custards, it is served as a savory dish and often contains small pieces of chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, or vegetables suspended within its silky custard. One of my most loved dishes during my time in Japan, it’s really quite simple to make, and incredibly impressive to eat! Prepare it in covered ramekins so that the lid can be removed to reveal the surprise inside when serving. Check out the link to a vegan version at the bottom of the page.

Easy Chawanmushi

Makes: 4 small servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: about 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1½ cups dashi broth
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into very small pieces
• 8 medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half
• 4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Easy dashi option: Instant dashi powder is perfectly practical here and is increasingly available in ordinary supermarkets. Prepare it according to the package directions. If you cannot find it locally, a mild low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth will work, although the flavor will be less traditionally Japanese.

Instructions

1. Prepare the filling. Divide the chicken, shrimp and mushrooms among four small heatproof cups, ramekins, or bowls.
2. Make the custard. Gently beat the eggs in a bowl. Avoid whipping lots of air into them.
3. Add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and salt and stir gently until combined.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. This little extra step is the secret to that beautiful, silky texture.
5. Pour the egg mixture gently into the four cups, leaving a little room at the top.
6. Cover each cup loosely with aluminum foil.
7. Put the cups into a large skillet or wide pot. Add enough hot water to come about one-third to halfway up the sides of the cups.
8. Cover the pan and cook over very low heat for about 15–20 minutes, until the custard is just set. It should have a gentle wobble in the center rather than becoming firm and rubbery.
9. Carefully remove the cups and garnish with sliced green onion.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture similarly recommends straining the egg mixture, covering the vessels and cooking the custard gently. Its version uses a skillet with water reaching about one-third of the way up the vessels.

The most important trick

Don’t let the water boil furiously.

Chawanmushi wants a gentle steam bath, not a jacuzzi. Too much heat causes the eggs to contract and creates bubbles and holes. Low heat gives you that almost impossibly smooth texture.

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Nutrition per serving: Approximately 145 calories, 6 g fat, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 16 g protein, and 600 mg sodium.

A nutritional bonus

This is a rather elegant little protein dish. Eggs, chicken and shrimp provide substantial protein without requiring much added fat, while shiitake contributes flavor without adding many calories. If sodium is a concern, low-sodium soy sauce and a lower-sodium dashi are the two easiest adjustments.

Sources: Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries provides an official chawanmushi preparation using egg, dashi, light soy sauce, mirin, shiitake, chicken and shrimp. Nutritional estimates are based on standard ingredient composition; individual brands will vary.

Inspired by Nami’s recipe at Just One Cookbook

Need a vegan version? No problem, check this out:https://veggiekinsblog.com/2022/08/10/vegan-chawanmushi/