Chawanmushi with scallops

Aperitif 55min Intermediate

Ingredients

1 egg (55 g)
165 g of broth dashi of kombu
4 to 5 dried shiitakes (15 g)
2 scallops
2 sheets of kombu (approximate dimensions: 10 x 5 cm, large enough to place the scallops)
2 g of soy sauce
2 g of hon kuzu

What is chawanmushi ?

Chawanmushi (literally "steamed in a tea bowl") is a savoury egg custard from Japanese cuisine. The term chawan 茶碗 means "tea bowl" and mushi 蒸し means "steam". Unlike flan, which is made with milk, chawanmushi uses dashi as its base.

The chawanmushi are savoury egg custards made with stock and small pieces of seafood, meat or vegetables, mushrooms and aromatics. Traditionally steamed, they are served in handle-free teacups with lids. The Japanese, much like Western cuisine, continue to use the steaming method to cook a wide variety of foods: glutinous rice, vegetables, fish, meats, and even savoury custards. The advantage of this technique is that it allows for better control of the cooking process, as the ingredients are cooked slowly in an environment where steam and heat interact harmoniously.

Recipe by Chef Koyama San:

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 egg (55 g)
165 g of dashi kombu stock
4 to 5 dried shiitakes (15 g)
2 scallops
2 sheets of kombu (approximate dimensions: 10 x 5 cm, large enough to lay the scallops on)
2 g of soy sauce
2 g of hon kuzu starch

Recipe preparation:

The day before:

1. Soak the 4 shiitakes in 250 g of water for 24 hours.

3. Prepare the kombujime for the scallops: place the scallops on a sheet of kombu, then cover with another sheet. Leave to rest for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

On the day:

3. In a bowl, beat the egg with the dashi stock.

4. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.

5. Season with salt and soy sauce.

6. Divide the mixture into 4 portions in Chawanmushi bowls.

7. Remove the stems from the shiitakes, cut them into small pieces, then add them to the mixture. Do not discard the shiitake soaking water.

8. Steam for 30 minutes at 80°C.

9. Thicken the shiitake soaking water with the starch to obtain a sauce.

10. Remove the scallops from the kombu sheets.

11. Place half a scallop on each Chawanmushi and spoon over the sauce.

Find the video recipe here:

Who is Chef Koyama San?

After a three-year training period starting in 1986, at the Penta Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Punay restaurant in Berne, at the Auberge de Léridan in Annecy, France, at the Jardin Gourmand in Auxerre, France, and at the Saint-James Club in Paris, Chef Koyama returned to Japan. In 1990, he opened Le Jardin Gourmand in his home city of Hiroshima, where he offers cuisine based on ingredients from his own kitchen garden, as well as products carefully selected from local and regional producers. Since 2017, he has been overseeing the cuisine of the Twilight Express Mizukaze.