Eggs are my favorite breakfast meal. I like them in all styles - fried sunny-side up or over easy, soft boiled, poached, baked en cocotte, scrambled. Chawan mushi, a steamed Japanese egg custard, is one of my recent favorites. Extremely light and airy, with silky mouth feel and delicious, delicate flavor - what's not to like?
Traditionally, it is served as an appetizer, hot or cold, but I prefer to have it for breakfast or lunch.
- 1 Large or Extra Large egg
- 1/2 cup homemade or instant dashi stock (=125 ml or 4.3 oz )
- 3/4 - 1 tsp light soy sauce
- A teeny pinch of salt
- Several chunks of cooked crab meat (about 1/8 cup) or a couple of medium sized raw prawns, peeled and cut in several pieces (if using small shrimp leave them whole)
- A medium mushroom - shiitake (stem removed), oyster, crimini or several trumpet mushrooms, sliced
- 5-6 spinach or arugula leaves or several blanched sea beans (they give a nice crunch)
Start heating water in a steamer. In a bowl, stir eggs with dashi stock and soy sauce until thoroughly combined but not foamy.
Place crab meat/prawns, mushrooms, and spinach into a ramekin and top with the egg and dashi mixture. Cover the ramekin with a lid or foil and place into the simmering steamer.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook chawan mushi for about 12-15 minutes or until set. A well cooked chawan mushi should look solid on the surface, but be very soft and wobbly like jelly.
You can also cook chawan mushi in the oven in a water bath. Especially, if you have to make several servings at a time. Preheat the oven to 375, put the covered ramekins with chawan mushi in a deep baking dish, pour boiling water around the ramekins about ½ - 2/3 of their height. Put the baking dish into the oven and cook chawan mushi about 20 minutes. Carefully uncover one of the ramekins to check the doneness. Cook more if needed.
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