Chawan Mushi (Steamed Custard)

(6 Servings)

• 12 shrimp or 6 shrimps and 6 small pieces of chicken or kamaboko (fish cake)
• 6 small or 3 large dried mushroom soaked in water
• 12 water chestnuts
• Shingiku, mitsuba or hoorenso (greens – Japanese herbs)
• Salt
• Boiling water

Remove skin from chicken and cut flesh into 1½ x ¼ inch pieces, pour little shoyu, mix and let stand.

Shell shrimp, cut off tail, slash back to clean veins, wash in salted water. Put in 1 cup of salted boiling water, cover and cook for about five minutes. Remove shrimp.

Into the water, add:

• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. shoyu
• Pinch of ajinomoto

Cut mushroom into 3/8 inch strips and cook for few minutes in sauce. Remove.

Cut water chestnuts into half, cook in the above sauce.

Clean and wash greens, sprinkle salt and pour boiling water over them. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Put in bottom of cup, the shrimp, chicken, mushroom, greens, water chestnut.

Mix together with chop stick:

• 1 cup eggs (about 5)
• 1¼ cups dashi (soup stock)
• 2 tsp. mirin or wine
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. shoyu
• ½ tsp. ajinomoto
• 1 tsp. sugar

Pour over “mi” in bowl.

Put in steamer, cover cups, and steam 10-12 minutes using medium heat. It will be done when chop stick comes out clean when pierced into the custard.

Remove steamer from heat and cool a little. Served as second course in a formal meal.

---