My Mom's Chawan Mushi (Japanese Savory Egg Custard)
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Ingredients
  • FOR EGG CUSTARD:
  • 3 eggs
  • 2¼ cup water (including reserved shiitake liquid)
  • 1 teaspoon katsuo dashi (bonito seasoning)
  • 2¼ teaspoon shoyu (soy sauce)
  • 3 - 4 small dried shiitake mushrooms
  • ½ bunch of spinach
  • ½ chicken breast
  • 4 - 5 ginnan (gingko nuts) - optional
  • ⅓ pink kamaboko (fish cake)
  • FOR SHIITAKE:
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoon shoyu
  • 1½ teaspoon mirin
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
Instructions
  1. PREPARE SHIITAKE: Soak dried shiitake in 2 cups of warm water. Let soak for 15 - 20 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Reserve soaking liquid. Remove stems from the mushrooms. Cut mushrooms into quarters.
  2. In a small pot, combine 1 cup of reserved shiitake liquid (save the remaining 1 cup for the egg custard), add shoyu, mirin, sugar and chopped shiitake and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until liquid mostly evaporates. Leave mushrooms in pot until ready to use.
  3. PREPARE DASHI: In a medium pot, combine 1 cup of reserved shiitake liquid, and 1¼ cup water. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Add shoyu and katsuo dashi, stir then simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. While the dashi is cooling, bring water to a boil in a medium pot and blanch spinach leaves for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove spinach from pot and transfer to a colander. Run cold water over the spinach and then gently squeeze any excess water. Chop the spinach in half first, then chop into thirds that are about ¾ inch long. Set spinach aside.
  5. Separate the pink kamaboko from the wooden platform it rests on, by running a knife in between the kamaboko and the platform. Then slice the pink kamaboko into desired thickness, and then cut each "fan" in half. You only need 4 slices to get 8 little pieces (2 for each dish). Set aside. TIP: Kamaboko freezes well.
  6. If you are adding ginnan (gingko nuts), rinse the ginnan before using, and set aside.
  7. Next, cut chicken breast (or leg if that's all you have) into small bite sized pieces. It's best to keep the chicken small because this will ensure that it cooks thoroughly when the chawan mushi is steamed.
  8. In a large bowl, crack 3 eggs, one at a time, and remove the little white squiggly stuff, called "chalaza". I used a wooden spoon to remove it.
  9. Gently beat the eggs with chopsticks. Add the cooled dashi into the egg mixture and gently beat with chopsticks.
  10. Assemble individual chawan mushi in desired dish.
  11. Layer ingredients from bottom to top: chicken, ginnan, shiitake, kamaboko and spinach.
  12. Pour egg and dashi mixture into the dish about ¾ of the way full.
  13. Bring water to a boil in the steamer, then reduce heat to simmer on low. Place egg custard dishes in the steamer. NOTE: It's important to steam on low so that the custard doesn't bubble-up and over cook. If steamed at the right temperature, the top of the custard will look smooth and glossy.
  14. Wet a dish towel and squeeze out excess water. Place this over the uncovered steamer, then put the lid of the steamer on top of the dish towel. Finally, fold over the excess towel on top of the steamer. Make sure the lid is on tightly.
  15. Steam on low heat for 15 - 20 minutes until the egg custard sets. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Recipe by Bebe Love Okazu at https://bebeloveokazu.com/2010/04/19/chawan-mushi-japanese-savory-egg-custard/