Chawan Mushi

Post date: Jan 4, 2010 5:53:42 AM

Filling:

1/2 chicken breast, skinned and boned

1 t. sake

1 t. soy sauce

4 small shrimp, shelled and deveined

4 stalks watercress

4 water chestnuts, (peeled and) sliced

4 slices (1/4") kamaboko, cut into wedges/pie shapes

slivers of lemon zest

12 raw ginko nuts, shelled and peeled

Custard:

4 eggs

2-1/2 C. dashi, room-temperature

1/2 t. salt

1 T. mirin

1 T. soy sauce

Have all filling ingredients prepared: Cut chicken breast into 1/2" x 1/2" pieces. Marinate in sake and soy sauce for ±15 minutes. Drain and discard marinade. Cut shrimp if larger than bite-size.

Beat eggs in a medium-sized bowl. In a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl with a lip, mix room-temperature dashi, salt, mirin, and soy sauce. Pour stock mixture in a thin stream into beaten egg. Mix well, but do not beat, making sure the surface is free of foam and bubbles. Strain, if desired.

(The volume of the seasoned stock mixture should be 3 times the volume of the beaten egg. Therefore, in adjusting this recipe for a particular number of diners, use this 3:1 ratio.)

Distribute filling ingredients among cups, except for any greens and the lemon zest. Ladle egg mixture into cups, filling them to about 1/2" from the top. Add greens/lemon zest. Cover each cup with lids, plastic wrap, or foil. Set cups in stock pot of steaming water. Cover steamer and steam over medium heat for 20 minutes. Alternatively, place lidded or foil-covered cups in bain-maire and cook in a preheated oven at 425°F for 30 minutes.

When done, chawan mushi should be set but still jiggle. It is undercooked if a toothpick does not come out of the center cleanly. It is overcooked if the top is pock-marked or cracked and tough looking.

Serve with a spoon and chopsticks. Serve hot in the winter and cold in the summer.