Tofu and Custard Recipes - Steamed Egg Custard (Chawan Mushi)

Ingredients

• 250 g (8 oz) chicken breast, diced

• 1 tablespoon sake

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 8 fresh medium prawns, peeled and divined

• 4-6 fresh shiitake mush­rooms, stems removed and discarded, caps sliced

• 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced, each slice quartered 120 g (4 oz) spinach, rinsed, stems removed

• Peel of 1/4 lemon, finely grated, for garnish

Dashi Custard

• 625 ml (21/2 cups) Basic Dashi Stock (above)

• 1 tablespoon sake

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 4 large eggs

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Method:

1. Marinate the chicken in the sake and soy sauce for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. To prepare the Dashi Custard, break the eggs into a large bowl and stir them gently with chopsticks or a fork. Do not beat or allow bubbles to form in the eggs. Combine the Basic Dashi Stock or instant dashi mixture with the sake, soy sauce and salt in a saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring slowly to dissolve the salt. Heat until just before boiling, then quickly remove. Do not allow dashi mixture to boil.

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

4. Evenly divide the chicken, prawns, and vegetables among 4 small heatproof bowls. Pour the egg mixture over contents, leaving a 3/4-in (2-cm) gap at the top of each bowl. Cover each bowl with foil or a lid.

5. Heat the water in a large saucepan with a steamer rack, and place the custard cups on the rack. Cover partially with a lid to allow steam to escape. Cook over medium high heat for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes, until a knife comes out cleanly when inserted in the custard. Remove from the steamer, garnish with grated lemon peel, and serve immediately.