Chawanmushi is a Japanese savory egg custard filled with colorful ingredients and steamed in a cup. There are many variations of this traditional Japanese appetizer, and restaurants in Japan usually include seasonal ingredients. In today’s recipe, I use one of the most sought-after autumn delicacies of all—matsutake mushroom.
In Japan, we typically enjoy matsutake in a soup or rice dish. Matsutake Chawanmushi is another fantastic way to enjoy this special ingredient with its unique essence and taste.
What is Matsutake?
As I mentioned in my Matsutake Gohan post, matsutake (pine mushroom) is prized by the Japanese for its distinct aromatic odor and flavor. Its place in Japanese cuisine is very similar to that of black and white truffles for the French.
In Japan, top-quality domestic matsutake can sell for as much as $1,000 per pound. Supermarkets sell imported matsutake for less, but people still try to buy domestically as long as the price is not too expensive.
Here in the US, we can find fresh US-grown matsutake mushrooms at a nearby Japanese supermarket for about $40 per pound. I hope that you can find this delicious delicacy and try it for yourself!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- matsutake mushroom — it replaces the shiitake mushroom that’s typically used
- shrimp — you can substitute chicken thigh
- large egg
- narutomaki (fish cakes) — or use slices of kamaboko (fish cake)
- sake — for marinating the shrimp
- ginkgo nuts — optional
- mitsuba — optional
- dashi stock — use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet, or Vegan Dashi for this Japanese stock; use dashi powder in a pinch; I don’t recommend vegetable stock or chicken stock as substitutes
- mirin
- usukuchi soy sauce — this light-colored Japanese soy sauce keeps the custard from become a dark color
- kosher salt
How to Make Matsutake Chawanmushi
Chawanmushi literary means “steamed in a tea bowl/cup.” Aside from the cups, you won’t need any special equipment to prepare this recipe:
- Marinate the shrimp in sake for 15 minutes.
- Clean the matsutake mushroom with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel. Do not wash it. Cut into thin slices.
- Whisk the egg and stock mixture in a bowl. Strain the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Layer the ingredients into individual cups. Pour in the custard mixture without creating bubbles. Cover with the cup’s lid.
- Steam in simmering hot water in a large pot on the lowest heat for 25–30 minutes or 15-20 minutes if you’re not adding shrimp. (Do not use the oven or microwave.) Insert a skewer in the custard; it’s done if clear liquid comes out.
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Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushroom
Ingredients
- 4 pieces shrimp (peeled and deveined; or substitute ½ chicken thigh)
- ½ Tbsp sake (for marinating the shrimp)
- 1 matsutake mushroom
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 ginkgo nuts (pre-cooked; optional)
- 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes) (or use sliced kamaboko fish cake)
For the Seasonings
- ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- ½ tsp mirin
- ½ tsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (usukuchi soy sauce keeps the egg custard color from getting too dark; or use regular soy sauce in a pinch)
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Marinate 4 pieces shrimp (or chicken that‘s cut into small pieces) in ½ Tbsp sake for 15 minutes.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Clean 1 matsutake mushroom with a damp towel or paper towel. Do not wash the mushroom. Cut it into thin slices.
- Whisk 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) in a medium bowl, without making air bubbles. Add and whisk all the seasonings: ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), ½ tsp mirin, ½ tsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce, and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Then, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. This makes a refined and silky custard texture.
To Assemble the Chawanmushi
- Divide all the ingredients into individual chawanmushi cups. For each cup, I start with one shrimp, a ginkgo nut, and some sliced matsutake mushroom. Then, I add two slices of narutomaki (fish cakes) and another shrimp. Lastly, I tie a knot in each stem of mitsuba (optional) and place it on top of the shrimp. (Place the colorful ingredients near the surface.) Gently pour the egg mixture into the cups without creating bubbles. Instead of covering the ingredients completely with the egg mixture, leave some ingredients exposed so it will be visually pleasing when cooked. Put on the cup‘s lid; if you don‘t use chawanmushi cups, cover tightly with aluminum foil.
To Cook the Chawanmushi
- In a large pot, boil enough water to go halfway up the sides of the chawanmushi cups. Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest heat. Gently place the chawanmushi cups inside the gently simmering water. Cover the pot with the lid. Steam 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. If clear liquid comes out, it‘s done.
To Serve
- Serve the Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushroom warm with a spoon.
To Store
- 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
Did you make this recipe?
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