Chawanmushi (Silky Steamed Egg Custard, No Holes)
茶碗蒸し
https://japanese-kitchen-brothers.com/pages/recipe-chawanmushi-silky-steamed-egg-custard-no-holes
One egg to three parts dashi, strained and steamed gently. The spoon slides through like silk.
👨🍳"My first chawanmushi looked like a sponge. The heat was the only problem."
Ingredients
Serves 4Egg mix
-
2 (about 100 ml)
-
Salty Salt¼ tsp
-
Sweet Mirin1 tsp
Egg mix (Local)
-
Water300 ml (1¼ cups)
-
Umami Instant dashi granules½ tsp
-
Umami Soy sauce1 tsp
Egg mix (Authentic)
-
Umami Awase dashi300 ml (1¼ cups)cooled
-
Salty Usukuchi soy sauce1 tspkeeps the color pale
Fillings
-
80 g (about 3 oz)cut into 1.5 cm pieces
-
Shrimp optional4peeled
-
Umami Fresh shiitake mushrooms2sliced
Fillings (Authentic)
-
Color Kamaboko fish cake4 slices
Topping
-
a few sprigsmitsuba for Authentic
Taste & Texture Profile
The Local cup tastes bolder and saltier. The Authentic cup is paler, cleaner, and more fragrant.
Taste Profile
Texture Profile
Sensory Notes
Warm egg and a loud bonito note from the granules.
Almost silent. The spoon sinks in with a soft push.
Pale yellow with a light brown tint from soy sauce.
Best very hot. It also works chilled in summer.
Clean kombu and bonito, then fresh mitsuba on top.
A quiet tap as the lid comes off, then steam.
Soft yellow with a glassy top and pink kamaboko.
Serve straight from the steamer. The custard firms as it cools.
Instructions
Stir the instant dashi into 300 ml of warm water. Let it cool to room temperature.
Measure 300 ml of awase dashi. Let it cool to room temperature.
💡 Why the dashi must be cool
Egg white starts to set near 65C. Hot dashi cooks bits of egg the moment they meet. Those bits become grainy spots. Cool dashi below 40C keeps the mix smooth.
Warm dashi should speed things up, right?
It cooks the egg too early. You get little lumps.
So cool first, then mix.
Beat the eggs with chopsticks, cutting through the whites. Do not whisk into foam. Stir in the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and salt.
💡 One part egg, three parts dashi
Two large eggs make about 100 ml. With 300 ml dashi, the ratio is 1 to 3. More dashi makes it softer but harder to set. Less makes it firm like pudding.
Measure the eggs. Then measure three times as much dashi.
Not just two eggs and a cup?
Eggs change size. The ratio does not.
Pour the mix through a fine sieve. Skim off any bubbles with a spoon.
💡 What the sieve catches
The sieve catches stringy bits of egg white. It also breaks up foam. Each bubble on top becomes a small pit. One pass takes about 30 seconds.
Is straining really worth another bowl?
Yes. It is the cheapest step for a smooth top.
Thirty seconds for a mirror surface. Fine.
Cut the chicken into 1.5 cm pieces. Divide the chicken, shrimp, and shiitake among 4 cups. Pour in the egg mix.
Set the cups in a deep pan. Add hot water 2 cm deep. Cover with a towel-wrapped lid. Cook on the lowest heat for 15 to 18 minutes.
💡 Where the holes come from
The custard sets at about 80C. Above about 90C, water inside it starts to boil. The steam bubbles freeze in place as holes. The lowest heat keeps it below that line.
Why wrap the lid in a towel?
Drops from the lid make dents on top.
So the towel catches the rain.
Bring the steamer to a full steam. Put in the cups. Steam on high for 2 minutes. Then set the lid ajar with a chopstick. Steam on low for 12 to 15 minutes.
💡 The chopstick gap keeps it below a boil
A closed steamer climbs toward 100C. A small gap lets extra steam out. The air inside drops to about 85C to 90C. That is hot enough to set, too cool for holes.
Two minutes high, then open a crack.
Why start on high at all?
It sets the top fast. The gap protects the inside.
Poke the center with a skewer. Clear liquid means it is done. Cloudy liquid needs 2 more minutes.
Top with mitsuba or green onion. Serve hot with a spoon.
Did you make it?
Sign in to rateFAQ
Why does my chawanmushi have holes?
The heat was too high. Water inside the custard boiled. Use the lowest heat, or leave a gap under the lid.
Can I make it without a steamer?
Yes. Use a deep pan with 2 cm of hot water. Wrap the lid in a towel and use the lowest heat.
Why did it not set?
There was too much dashi, or it needed more time. Check the 1 to 3 ratio. Steam 2 more minutes and test again.
Can I eat chawanmushi cold?
Yes. Chill it for 1 hour after steaming. It is a common summer dish in Japan.
