Chawanmushi Recipe: How to Make this SavouryJapanese Egg Custard

Have you tried Chawanmushi, the savoury egg custard with an umami edge? The popular side dish is commonplace on Japanese menus, but we've also recently seen Western chefs switching on to its silky depths in their chawanmushi recipes.

Massimo Bottura served it as an opening appetizer at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 gala dinner, while chawanmushi also appeared on Pettersen's winning platter at Bocuse d'Or Europe this month.

But chawanmushi is also within easy reach of humble home cooks where the versatile comfort food can be tailored to individual  taste, or even leftover ingredients in the fridge.

What is Chawanmushi?

Chawanmushi is a traditional Japanese hot appetizer or side dish made from steamed savoury egg custard set in a rice bowl or tea cup flavoured with dashi, soy sauce, and mirin.

The basic egg base lends itself to a variety of favourite fillings like prawns, chicken, gingko nuts, kamaboko steamed fish cake, shitake mushrooms or spring onions (check out the ideas below) and toppings like salty roe.

Chawanmushi is usually eaten with a spoon allowing the silky, quivering like custard to be scooped up by the mouthful.

So how do you make Chawanmushi?

Making chawanmushi is very simple. The clue is in the name "chawan" meaning teacup or rice bowl, and "mush" meaning steamed in Japanese.

Chawanmushi ingredients are store cupboard essentials put together using simple techniques - lightly beaten eggs, to which dashi, soy and mirin are added, then strained and steamed in individual bowls, or ramekins, in a water bath for 10-15 minutes until set.

Chawanmushi Recipe 

Chef Brady Williams of Seattle's Canlis walks us through how to make chawanmushi in this video recipe from Saveur:

Chawanmushi Ideas:

Check out these ideas which highlight just chawanmushi lends itslef to creative toppings and fillings:

 

Mushroom Overload ??? #chawanmushi #japanesefood #mushroom

A post shared by MichiCooks (@michicooks) on Jun 6, 2018 at 4:36am PDT

 

Dear #Chawanmushi lovers, we have it on the menu! A delicate & silky custard topped with all the beautiful flavours of the ocean: uni, ikura & pickled kombu.

A post shared by Burdock & Co (@burdockandco) on Nov 11, 2017 at 5:17pm PST

 

A post shared by Calvin Lee (@foodmakescalhappy) on Jun 13, 2018 at 6:00am PDT

 

A post shared by Uncle Kiisu (@unclekiisu) on Jun 12, 2018 at 8:07am PDT

 

#Ikura #Chawanmushi at #SushiTei! So #satisfying #feeling the #salmon #roe #explode in my #mouth as I take a spoonful with the #smooth #Japanese #steamed #egg.

A post shared by Shirley (@feedingshirls_b) on Jun 9, 2018 at 7:09am PDT

 

#chawanmushi @kitsunerestaurant

A post shared by Iliana Regan (@elizabethrestaurant_and_co) on Nov 2, 2017 at 9:02am PDT

 

• K O M E Y U I • ?Port Melbourne, Bay St Chawanmusho with Foie Gras . . ✍?️Oh. My. God. I don't even know where the start? Is this what savory heaven tastes like? This steamed egg literally just melts in your mouth. So much flavour and richness. However, do not eat one by yourself though, share with someone else because it will definitely be too much for you and you won't get to enjoy the rest of the meal as much since it's so decadent

A post shared by eat.wit.chu (@eat.wit.chu) on Jun 6, 2018 at 11:39pm PDT

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