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This chawanmushi recipe is Japanese steamed egg custard served inside the shell itself, topped with a shallot chili crisp that has no business being as good as it is. I made it for my Wonderland dinner and called it “Curiouser and Curiouser,” and I meant it – you are making steamed egg custard inside of an egg. They also might be my favorite way to eat eggs now, which I did not see coming.
Table of Contents
What is Chawanmushi?
Chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し), pronounced chaa·waan·mu·shee, is a Japanese savory steamed egg custard. The name means “steamed in a teacup”. Chawan is the teacup or bowl, mushi is the steam, and traditionally that’s exactly how it’s served. This silky savory egg custard is gently steamed in a small lidded cup as an appetizer or side, at kaiseki restaurants and home tables across Japan. The custard is savory, not sweet, which catches people off guard when they hear the word custard. The flavor is light and umami-forward, and the texture is unlike anything else you’ll do with an egg – it barely holds its shape and has a slight jiggle to it, nothing like scrambled, nothing like poached. For this recipe I’m using the eggs as the cup and adding shallot chili crisp as topping, because why not!
Working with the Eggs
In this recipe the eggs aren’t just an ingredient – they’re also the cup, which means you can’t just crack them open and call it a day. They need a little prep before their grand entrance. Here’s everything I learned.
The Egg Topper
I tried every egg topper I could find so you don’t have to, and most of them are a waste of good eggs. The only one that gave me clean lines every time is The Original Clack – and it is exactly as fun as it sounds. Raise the weighted ball, drop it, and repeat until it scores a clean ring around the shell without any uneven pressure from your hand. They say to slide a small knife under the score line to lift the top off, but mine just lifted off. And you have a perfect little vessel for your steamed eggs.
How to Steam the Eggs
Place the filled shells in a stainless steel egg steamer rack inside a large pot with about an inch of water below the rack. Keep the heat on low – if it’s too high you’ll lose the silky texture. Leave the lid slightly ajar so condensation doesn’t drip back onto the custard. Steam for 13 to 15 minutes, then turn the heat off and let them sit partially covered for 5 minutes. They’re done when the egg holds its shape while still having a slight jiggle.
Tips for Removing the Membrane
Patience. You can use your fingernails (don’t forget to wash your hands) or tweezer. If you can get under an edge it peels off in one piece usually. This is tedious but the adorable egg shells are worth it!
Other Ways to Serve It
Ramekins, small heat-resistant bowls, egg cups, and traditional chawanmushi cups all work great. Same steaming time, same technique, same delicious result. The shell is a fun moment but it is absolutely not a requirement.
Ingredient Swaps
Shiro dashi is worth tracking down – most Asian grocery stores carry it and it’s increasingly easy to find online. It keeps the custard pale and delicate, and that color is part of what makes these look so good in the shell. If you absolutely can’t find it, a small amount of light soy sauce mixed with dashi and a pinch of sugar gets you close, but the custard will be noticeably darker.
Dehydrated shallots are doing specific work in the chili crisp – when the hot oil hits them they crisp up instantly. Fresh shallots won’t do that. If you can’t find dehydrated, store-bought crispy fried shallots are the best swap.
Avocado oil can be swapped for any neutral high smoke point oil – grapeseed, vegetable, or canola all work. Skip olive oil, it has too low a smoke point and turns bitter when heated this way.
Crushed red pepper can be swapped for gochugaru if you want a slightly different flavor profile. Just know the heat level will vary depending on what you use.
How to Serve Chawanmushi
These were part of my Wonderland dinner series – the ones I called Curiouser and Curiouser. Kick things off with the Galaxy Cotton Candy Lemonade Cocktail, the welcome drink that started the whole night. The Cheese Rosettes with Whipped Fig Brie and Wonderland Bluefin Tapioca Crisps are also on the site, and more courses are coming.
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Nadia’s Storage Tips
- These are best eaten right after they’re made, but if you have leftovers the custard keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Store them upright in the egg carton to keep everything in place. Do not freeze – it will ruin the texture completely.
- Keep the shallot chili crisp stored separately and spoon it over right before serving. It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- When you’re ready to reheat, steam for 2 to 3 minutes until warmed through. Don’t microwave it, this will break the texture you worked hard to get.
- If you have leftover raw eggs from cracking the shells, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and use them within 2 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is pronounced chaa·waan·mu·shee.
It is not gluten-free as written. Both the soy sauce and shiro dashi usually contain wheat. To make it gluten-free, swap both for gluten-free tamari and a gluten-free shiro dashi.
This recipe uses sake and mirin, both of which contain alcohol. Most of it cooks off during steaming, but if you’re avoiding alcohol entirely, swap the sake for additional broth and the mirin for a small amount of sugar.
No. This recipe is completely dairy-free.
You eat Japanese steamed eggs with a small spoon, directly from the egg. Traditionally they use a small lidded ceramic chawanmushi cup.
The heat was too high. When chawanmushi steams too fast, the egg proteins set quickly and trap air, leaving a spongy, honeycomb texture. Keep the heat on low for the full cook time and leave the lid slightly ajar.
I bought these egg cups at Zara.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- fine mesh strainer
- Large Pot
- Small heatproof bowl
- small saucepan
Ingredients
Egg Cups
- 12 eggs, tops removed
Egg Custard
- 3 eggs + 1 yolk, 3/4 cup total
- 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup broth
- 3 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp shiro dashi
Shallot Chili Crisp
- 3 tbsp dehydrated shallots
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
Toppings
- chives, chopped, to taste
- edible flowers, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Shells: Use an egg topper to remove the top of each egg. Transfer 3 whole eggs and 1 yolk to a mixing bowl. Store the remaining 8 whole eggs and 1 egg white in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 2 days. Wash the empty shells and place in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove the inner membrane from each shell, then drain and set upright in an egg holder.12 eggs
- Make the Custard: Add the water, broth, sake, soy sauce, mirin, and shiro dashi to the bowl with the eggs and whisk until fully combined. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.3 eggs + 1 yolk, 1/3 cup water, 3/4 cup broth, 3 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp shiro dashi
- Divide the custard evenly among the 12 prepared shells. Place the shells in a steamer rack set over about 1 inch of water in a large pot. Steam on low for 13 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit, partially covered, for 5 minutes.
- Make the Shallot Chili Crisp: Combine the dehydrated shallots, scallions, ginger, toasted sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Pour the oil immediately over the bowl, then add the rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir to combine.3 tbsp dehydrated shallots, 2 scallions, 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tbsp black sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/4 cup avocado oil
- Serve: Score the surface of each steamed egg with a sharp knife. Spoon the shallot chili crisp over each egg, sprinkle with chives, and place edible flowers and that is it.chives, edible flowers
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
