RCI-DS.001.0509.001

Steamed Egg Custard Soup

Rev. Saito was a great cook. We enjoyed his cooking. He loved to treat people by making sushi, steamed fish, and steak. During one Buddhist retreat he made the largest chawan-mushi (steamed egg-custard soup) I had seen in my life.

Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Total45 min
Servings4
Difficultyadvanced

Ingredients

  • boned chicken thigh
    cut into small bite-sized pieces
    80 g
  • of sake and light soy sauce
    1 dash
  • prawns
    shelled
    4 unit
  • 1 dash
  • sea eel (commercially grilled)
    cut lengthwise into halves and again cut across into 1 cm wide strips
    1 unit
  • lily bulb
    flaked and lightly boiled
    ¼ unit
  • ginkgo nuts
    shelled with soft skin removed
    8 unit
  • bunch of Japanese honewort
    discard the leaves and cut the stalk into 1.5 cm sections
    ⅓ unit
  • cc dashi
    400 unit
  • cc mirin
    15 unit
  • cc light soy sauce
    15 unit
  • ½ tsp
  • eggs
    well beaten until smooth
    2 unit
  • yuzu
    rind cut into several pieces
    ¼ unit

Method

1
Marinate the boned chicken thigh pieces with a dash of sake and light soy sauce for 10 minutes to soften and season.
2
Prepare a steaming setup by filling a pot with water and bringing it to a gentle boil, ensuring the steaming vessel sits above the water level without touching it.
3
In a small bowl, combine the dashi, mirin, light soy sauce, and salt, then stir until the salt dissolves completely; set aside to cool slightly.
4
Pour the cooled dashi mixture into a large bowl and add the well-beaten eggs slowly while stirring gently to combine evenly without creating bubbles.
2 minutes
5
Divide the marinated chicken thigh pieces, shelled prawns, sea eel strips, lily bulb flakes, ginkgo nuts, and Japanese honewort sections evenly among four individual steaming bowls or one large steaming dish.
5 minutes
6
Carefully pour the egg and dashi mixture into each bowl over the prepared ingredients, filling to about three-quarters full to allow for expansion during steaming.
2 minutes
7
Cover the steaming bowls with lids or foil to prevent water droplets from falling into the custard.
8
Place the covered bowls on a steaming rack or trivet over the boiling water and steam at medium-high heat for 15–18 minutes until the egg custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center when gently shaken.
17 minutes
9
Remove the steaming bowls carefully from the heat using tongs and let rest for 2 minutes.
10
Garnish each bowl with yuzu rind pieces and serve immediately while the custard is hot.

What Makes This Variant Distinct

  • Original variant

Cuisines