Japanese Seafood Recipes - Steamed Egg Custard Cups with Shrimp, Chicken and Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 oz(90 g) chicken breast, thinly sliced

• 5 teaspoons Japanese soy sauce

• 2 large eggs or 3 medium eggs

• 1 1/3 cups (350 ml) Basic Dashi Stock (see recipe) or 2/3 teaspoon dashi stock granules dissolved in 1 1/3 cups (350 ml) hot water

• 1 teaspoon mirin

• 8 gingko nuts, peeled, blanched and skins removed (optional)

• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps left whole

• 4 fresh medium shrimp, peeled and divined, heads and tails intact,

• 4 mitsuba or watercress stems, cut into sections

• Grated yuzu orange or lemon peel, to garnish

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Method:

1. Marinate the sliced chicken in 2 teaspoons of soy sauce for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. To prepare the custard, break the eggs in a large bowl and stir gently with chopsticks or a fork. Do not beat or allow bubbles to form in the eggs. Combine the dashi stock with the remaining soy sauce in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat until almost to a boil, then quickly remove from the heat. Add the mirin and stir.

3. Pour the dashi mixture, while still hot, in a slow, steady stream into the eggs, stirring gently to blend. Strain the egg and dashi mixture through a fine sieve.

4. Evenly divide and place the chicken, followed by gingko nuts, mushroom caps, shrimp and mitsuba or watercress into four small but deep heat-proof cups or bowls. Slowly pour an equal amount of egg and dashi mixture down the side of the cups. Seal each cup with foil, a heat-proof plate or a lid.

5. Heat water in a large steamer, and place the custard cups on the rack. Steam over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and steam for another 15 minutes.

6. Insert a knife or fork into the custard; it is cooked when the knife or fork comes out clean. Remove from the steamer and garnish with the grated yuzu orange or lemon peel. Serve immediately.