Cha đź‘Źwan đź‘Ź mu đź‘Ź shi
For as far back as I can remember, my mom made me an egg custard for breakfast every morning.
She used to wake up extra early because even a small bowl 1-egg custard took 15-20 minutes to steam to velvety soft perfection and it was important to her that I start the day off right. Then at some point when I was in high school, she read on the internet that a 1-minute microwaved egg custard is “the exact same thing” (and not a farty sponge suspended in liquid). I didn’t really have the heart to tell her that it was not the same and did not taste good so I sort of stopped eating breakfast. It ended up working out well and that’s how I learned that breakfast just makes me hungrier at lunch. I still don’t eat in the morning.
Chawanmushi is such a simple comfort food dish that it feels very silly every time they fuss over it on Top Chef like it’s very high-precision and delicate. Like, it’s home cooking my mom did everyday while barely awake. And it still always feels very nostalgic for me to eat it in a restaurant.
Basically I’m trying to say that this recipe is very easy and very enjoyable and makes ya feel real fancy. And it’s in fact pretty forgiving - you can enjoy it plain or add whatever flavors or mix-in goodies you want.
Since one egg can be stretched out quite a bit with flavorful liquid, I’ve been eating it like a diet food. A warm bowl of steamed egg with goodies for not a lot of calories. As abundant as a salad, but less sad/cold, more warm/fuzzy.
Endlessly Riffable Chawanmushi / Steamed Egg Custards
There is no recipe necessary honestly. Beat up some eggs, thin it out with a flavorful liquid, add some stuff to a bowl. Wrap the top, and steam until jiggly. Some points of reference below though.
This batch makes 2 large bowls with lots of goodies.
Combine in a bowl:
450-650g flavorful liquid
This can be: anchovy stock, chicken broth, water + dashi powder, water + bouillon paste, etc.
Less liquid will yield a thicker/eggier custard. More liquid will yield a
2 tsp cooking wine, sake, or mirin
2-4 tsp soy sauce and/or fish sauce
add enough seasoning to make the liquid taste a bit too salty
white pepper and/or other seasonings
Add to the bowl:
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Gently beat mixture to combine all the liquids, incorporating as little air as possible.
Place desired mix-ins in the bottom of two heat-safe bowls, and pour custard on top. OR pour custard in a bowl and throw some ingredients in. Milk vs cereal first, whatever type of person you are is fine. Some suggestions:
edamame
mushrooms, washed, parcooked in microwave, and squeezed
leafy greens, like spinach, steamed via microwave and squeezed to remove excess moisture
sturdy greens like asparagus/broccoli, chopped into small pieces
imitation crab or fish balls
ham cubes
shrimp
cooked meat pieces
Tofu
Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap.
Steam over barely simmering water for 20 minutes, or until the center is set but still jiggly.
Optional: finish with herbs and a dash of sesame oil or chili oil.
Eat immediately!
I didn’t feel like steaming a second one consecutively so I made it Korean style in an eartenware pot - this style is better suited with less liquid, otherwise it might get too watery. The eggs will not be in a smooth and velvety custard, it will have more of a fluffy scrambled egg type texture. Not remotely spongy and soggy like microwaved eggs. Don’t microwave eggs.
It’s whatever you prefer. Just different style, and a slightly quicker cook time with the gyeran-jjim.
Notes
As mentioned above, any add-ins with a lot of liquid should be parcooked, with excess moisture squeezed out. I microwave greens to cook them quickly all the time, as seen in this soup recipe.
Any meats should also be cut small and/or cooked beforehand. Something like chicken breast you may have to play around with the combination of the right size and par-cooked doneness.
If choose to place your mix-ins into the bowl first, then pour custard on top, (better for presentation and layering mostly) you may have to wiggle the add-ins with a utensil to make sure the liquid reaches all the nooks and crannies between the layers.
As a diet food, it’s nice to make a giant bowl. But a smaller portion would make a nice appetizer or side. One time when friends came over for dinner, I even sous vided them inside a hollowed and cleaned eggshell with small shrimp as an amuse bouche type thing.