Chawanmushi

[scolobey]

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is so simple, versatile, and unique.

combine 3 whole eggs and 2 cups of stock.

Season

strain

portion into oven-safe bowls or custard dishes, then cover individually in foil

Place ceramic vessels in a baking dish that rises to at least half of the height of the bowls

Add boiling water to partially submerge bowls

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.

The result is a custard, know to Japanese cuisine as chawanmushi. It's a really soothing dish, and a great way to totally trip someone out with a minimum of ingredients. You can place bits of blanched seafood or vegetables in the dish before you bake it to make things more interesting, or just garnish it with something that makes sense. The traditional stock to use is a basic dashi, but any liquid containing some amount of dissolved minerals will work fine. My favorite thing to use is a stock that I make by gently simmering a whole peking duck for a few hours. I add a little brandy to it too in that case. And, if you use milk instead of stock, add some sugar, and you soak some pieces of bread in there, you've got yourself a bread pudding. There's a slightly more detailed recipe on my blog if you run into trouble or want some more pictures. I tried chawanmushiing a packet of top ramen one time too, it was pretty good actually.