Easy Chawanmushi Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is a Japanese savory egg custard, steamed (mushi) and served in ceramic teacups (chawan) or ramekins. Like most Japanese dishes, chawanmushi contains a simple, flavorful foundation—the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin included in the custard gives the eggs a subtle note of umami—that allows for endless iterations. Chopsticks are the standard eating utensil for chawanmushi.

Making homemade chawanmushi is a straightforward process, but there are a few things you can do to ensure a perfect batch:

1. 1. Strain the egg mixture. Chawanmushi’s calling card is its silky, steamed egg custard, which becomes very hard to achieve if there are too many air bubbles in the egg from whisking. Passing the mixture through a sieve before steaming helps eliminate them.
2. 2. Steam over low heat. While it’s tempting to think higher temperatures and boiling water will speed up the cooking process, there’s a risk of overcooking the eggs and pulling out spongy, rubbery custard. Opt for slow steam over low heat.
3. 3. Experiment with different ingredients and garnishes. You can make chawanmushi with little pieces of chicken breast, shrimp, or mushrooms. Popular garnishes include naruto (cured surimi) or kamaboko (fish cakes), ginkgo nuts, mitsuba (Japanese parsley), uni (sea urchin), roe, and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), which you can find in most Asian grocery stores or online.
4. 4. Layer ingredients based on cook times. When preparing chawanmushi, it’s a good idea to place items that require more cooking time (like proteins) towards the bottom of the cup and reserve delicate, colorful ones, like herbs or carrots, for the top.