Chawanmushi with Shrimp

User Reviews

4.9

30 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    20 mins

  • Cook Time

    20 mins

  • Total Time

    50 mins

  • Servings

    2

  • Calories

    102 kcal

  • Course

    Appetizer

  • Cuisine

    Japanese

Chawanmushi with Shrimp

Chawanmushi is a savory egg custard dish served as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants. It literary means “steamed in a tea bowl/cup.“ This version with shrimp is a popular variation throughout Japan.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 3 Tbsp water (for hydrating the dried shiitake)
  • ½ boneless, skinless chicken thigh (cut into small pieces; soak in 1 Tbsp sake to get rid of the unwanted smell)
  • 4 Shrimp (peeled and deveined; soaked in 1 Tbsp sake to get rid of the unwanted smell)
  • 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (or you can use scallion/green onion)
  • 4 ginkgo nuts (pre-cooked; optional)
  • ½ package shimeji mushrooms (1.8 oz, 50 g; bottom ends removed; separated into small clusters)
  • 4 slices kamaboko (fish cake)

For the Egg Custard Mixture

  • 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
  • ½ tsp mirin
  • ½ tsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (I use light-colored soy sauce so the egg mixture will not become too dark)
  • ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)

For the Toppings (optional)

  • 2 pieces uni (sea urchin)
  • 2 Tbsp ikura (salmon roe)
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Instructions

  1. Gather all the ingredients. Feel free to replace the ingredients with any seasonal ingredients.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  1. In a small bowl, put 2 dried shiitake mushrooms and 3 Tbsp water and rehydrate for 15 minutes. When the shiitake becomes soft, squeeze the water out and slice them thinly. Tip: This liquid is shiitake dashi that you can use as a part of your ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) in this recipe. To do that, strain the shiitake stock (to remove any impurities), and add more dashi until you get ½ cup total.
  2. Make a knot in each stem of 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley), if you are using it. Divide all the ingredients into the individual cups. I start with small pieces of ½ boneless, skinless chicken thigh, the sliced shiitake, 4 ginkgo nuts, and ½ package shimeji mushrooms. Then, put 4 slices kamaboko (fish cake), 4 shrimp, and the mitsuba on top (the colorful ingredients should be at the top).

To Make the Egg Custard Mixture

  1. Whisk 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) in a medium bowl. Add ½ tsp mirin, ½ tsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce, ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock). Mix well together.
  2. Then, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. This helps making a silky texture.
  3. Pour the egg custard mixture into the prepared cups. Instead of covering the ingredients completely with egg, leave some ingredients exposed so chawanmushi will look nice. Remove any air bubbles with a spoon or bamboo skewer. Put the chawanmushi lids on (or tightly cover with foil).

To Cook the Chawanmushi

  1. Prepare a pot and lid that fits your chawanmushi cups. Add enough water to the pot to go halfway up the chawanmushi cups (but don‘t add the cups to the pot yet). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to the LOWEST setting. Gently place the chawanmushi cups inside the hot water (it should not be boiling) and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for 25–30 minutes on the lowest heat. If you are not adding shrimp and/or chicken, the cooking time should only be 15–20 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the custard to see if the egg is done. If clear liquid comes out, it‘s done.

To Serve

  1. Serve warm with 2 pieces uni (sea urchin) and 2 Tbsp ikura (salmon roe) on the side (optional). Place one of each on top of the chawanmushi right before you eat.

To Store

  1. You can keep the leftovers in a chawanmushi cup and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, steam for 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 102kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 153mg (51%) Sodium 408mg (17%) Potassium 263mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 143IU (3%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 34mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 102 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 102kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 153mg 51%
Sodium 408mg 17%
Potassium 263mg 6%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 143IU 3%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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4.9

30 reviews
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