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Chawanmushi (Savory Egg Custard)

Silken, savory, and naturally dairy-free, this Japanese egg custard by famed Napa Valley chef Hiro Sone is an impressive, easy-to-make first course. Though it’s traditionally served in small cups with lids, it’s easily made in ramekins or coffee mugs. The custard is so good, you could almost eat it by itself, but the glory is in baking a few edible goodies into it. To take it over the top, Hiro adds a finishing garnish of musky, melt-in-your-mouth uni (sea urchin), available at Japanese markets, and yuzu (Japanese citrus) peel, which can be replaced with lemon zest.

Servings 6 (2/3-cup) servings

Ingredients

FOR THE CUSTARD:

  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups homemade Dashi broth see below or instant dashi
  • 4 teaspoons gluten-free tamari
  • 3 tablespoons mirin rice wine
  • Kosher salt
  • 1⁄3 cup coarsely chopped cooked lobster shrimp, or crabmeat (optional)
  • 6 3⁄4-inch cubes peeled sweet potato, cooked in salted water until tender
  • 1⁄4 cup enoki mushrooms with stems cut about 1 inch from the cap
  • Boiling water

FOR THE GLAZE AND SERVING:

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1⁄2 cup Dashi broth see below or instant dashi
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon gluten-free tamari
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon mirin
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 small pieces uni for garnish (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons julienned mitsuba Japanese parsley or snipped chives, for garnish
  • Yuzu or lemon zest for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 320°F. Make the custard: In a mixing bowl, gently whisk the eggs, trying not to make too much foam. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the dashi, the tamari, and the mirin. Season with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
  2. Divide the lobster, sweet potato, and mushrooms among six 6-ounce ramekins or larger coffee mugs. Gently pour the custard mixture over the ingredients to fill three-fourths of the way to the top. Tightly cover the ramekins with aluminum foil, place them in a roasting pan, put the pan in the oven, then pour enough boiling water into the pan to come two-thirds of the way up the outside of the ramekins. Cook until the custard bounces back when you gently touch its surface, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
  3. Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the dashi, tamari, and mirin. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add a pinch of salt, and slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
  4. Remove the custards from the water bath and discard the foil. To serve, gently place a piece of uni atop each custard, then gently spoon a bit of warm glaze around it. Garnish with mitsuba and yuzu zest. Serve immediately.