Autumn Inspired Chawanmushi Recipe (Savory Japanese Egg Custard)

Gather the ingredients together. If you haven't prepared your dashi broth yet, now is a good time to do so. 

Boil water in a steamer.

Prepare your dashi. If you're using packaged dashi, follow the instructions on the package to dissolve the dashi powder in hot water. Once it's ready, transfer the dashi to a jar or stockpot and refrigerate it to cool. You can also make the dashi in advance and store it in the fridge for later use.

Crack the eggs into a separate container and beat them. Measure the volume of the beaten eggs in milliliters (e.g., the eggs weighed 160ml).

In a mixing jug or bowl, combine the beaten eggs with soy sauce and mirin.

Measure out three times the volume of the beaten eggs (e.g., 480ml) of the cooled dashi and add it to the egg mixture. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

For a smoother texture, strain the egg mixture using a strainer. Set it aside for now. 

Peel the sweet potato and chop it into small cubes. Thinly slice the carrots.

Next, cut the oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, and thinly slice the shiitake and white mushrooms.

Crush the cooked chestnuts into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

Then, dice the chicken breast into bite-sized chunks.

Season with salt and black pepper according to your taste.

Steam the carrots and sweet potatoes. When you can pierce into them easily, they're done. Turn off the heat at this point.

Simmer the oyster mushrooms in 100ml of the dashi. 

Tip: Fresh oyster mushrooms contain enzymes that can impact the texture of chawanmushi. To prevent this, it's best to cook the oyster mushrooms first to deactivate these enzymes before incorporating them into your chawanmushi.

Begin by adding the toppings that tend to sink, such as sweet potatoes, chicken, and chestnuts, into the steaming vessel.

Gently pour the egg mixture over these ingredients until they are well-covered.

Next, arrange the toppings that don't sink, like the mushrooms and thinly sliced carrots.

Continue filling the steaming container with the egg mixture until it reaches the top.

Before steaming, make sure to pop any bubbles on the surface of the chawanmushi for a smoother texture, using a toothpick or a similar tool.

Finally, place the lid on top of the steam bowl. If your steam bowl doesn't have a lid, you can use aluminum foil as a cover. Your chawanmushi are now ready to be steamed!

Ensure that the water is boiling, and your steamer is ready for action.

Place a lid with a built-in steam vent on top of the steamer. If your pot lid lacks a steam vent, gently tilt it to create an escape route for steam. If the lid doesn't fit securely, you can use a cloth as an extra cover.

Steam the chawanmushi over high heat for approximately 7-8 minutes, followed by an additional 3 minutes on low heat. Please note that the cooking time may vary depending on the size of your steam bowl.

While the chawanmushi steams, you can work on preparing the ankake sauce (a thick starch sauce) that will be used as a topping for the chawanmushi.

In a small pot, combine 200ml of dashi with mirin and light soy sauce. Mix water with cornstarch until it forms a smooth mixture.

Gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the pot, stirring continuously to reach your desired thickness. Avoid adding it all at once.

Mix the sauce well, and set it aside until the Chawanmushi are done steaming.

Your chawanmushi is ready when you notice a glossy golden broth gently oozing from the surface. When tilted, the egg mixture should remain intact without spilling. This indicates that it's perfectly cooked.

Carefully take your chawanmushi out of the steamer and top it with the ankake sauce that we just made. Now it's ready to enjoy!

Tip: If you find the broth appears slightly cloudy when you dig into it, it's a sign that it's undercooked. No need to fret, though! Simply give it another minute in the steamer, or if your bowl is microwave-safe, you can reheat it in the microwave. However, please exercise caution when using the microwave, as chawanmushi can become very hot and there's a risk of it potentially exploding. To avoid mishaps, heat it in short 1-minute bursts while closely monitoring its progress.