Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is a delicate steamed egg custard served in a covered cup — the Japanese savoury creme brulee. The flavour is entirely derived from the quality of the dashi, and the texture — smooth, silken, with a slight wobble — is the result of a low egg-to-dashi ratio and a gentle steam. It contains shrimp, chicken, ginkgo nut, and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) hidden beneath the surface.

Japan. Chawanmushi (chawan = tea cup, mushi = steam) has been part of Japanese kaiseki cuisine since the Edo period. It appears as a palate-clearing course in formal kaiseki — its delicacy and subtlety make it a contrast to richer courses.

Junmai ginjo sake served slightly warm (40C) in a ceramic ochoko — the delicate, slightly sweet umami of the sake mirrors the dashi in the chawanmushi. Both the dish and the sake should be experienced together as a quiet, refined moment.

The ratio: 1 egg per 200ml dashi — the low egg content is what produces the silken, liquid-like texture. More egg produces a firmer, less refined custard Dashi quality: ichiban dashi (first dashi, kombu and katsuobushi) — the delicate flavour of the custard means the dashi is unmistakably present Strain the egg-dashi mixture through a fine sieve: this removes the chalaza (the white strands attached to the yolk) and any bubbles that would create air pockets in the finished custard Skim the surface foam after straining: use a piece of paper towel to remove any remaining bubbles — a bubble-free surface produces a smooth, mirror-like top Steam at 85-90C (not full boil): place in the steamer with the lid slightly ajar, or steam under a cloth. Full-boil steaming produces bubbles in the custard (su ga tatsu) — the most common chawanmushi failure Test for doneness: insert a toothpick — it should come out clean with no liquid egg. The surface should appear just set