Ingredients

Custard

   
3 large eggs (50g without shell)
375g dashi (egg weight × 2.5)
5g mirin
5g soy sauce (usukuchi preferred)
2g Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Fillings

   
2 chicken tenders, cut into 1.3cm pieces
15g sake (for marinating chicken)
8 slices kamaboko (fish cake)
50g shimeji mushrooms, trimmed and separated
4 sprigs mitsuba or 1 scallion
8 ginkgo nuts, pre-cooked (optional)

Steps

  1. Marinate chicken pieces in sake for 10 minutes.

  2. Weigh eggs, multiply by 2.5 for the dashi amount. Combine eggs, dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

  3. Place chicken on the bottom of each cup in a single layer. Add mushrooms and ginkgo nuts. Arrange kamaboko and mitsuba on top.

  4. Pour custard mixture until cups are 80% full. Skim surface bubbles.

  5. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place filled cups in a baking dish or roasting pan. Cover each cup with its lid or foil. Pour boiling water into the dish halfway up the sides of the cups.

  6. Bake 25–30 minutes until set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Remove cups from the water bath and serve hot.

Notes

  • The egg-to-dashi ratio is 1:2.5 by weight. Weigh your eggs first, then calculate.
  • Strain the custard — this is what makes it silky.
  • The oven bain-marie is the most reproducible method — set temp, set timer, walk away. The water bath caps the custard temperature at ~212°F regardless of oven setting, so there’s no risk of boiling.
  • Stovetop alternative: bring a pot of water to a boil, reduce to lowest heat (175–195°F), lower cups in, cover with lid slightly ajar, steam 20 minutes. Harder to control — if the water boils you’ll get “su” (tiny holes).
  • Gentle heat is everything. “Su” (porous, holey custard) is considered a failure in Japanese cooking.
  • Use thin-walled cups. Thick ceramic takes much longer and is harder to control.
  • For vegetarian: skip chicken and kamaboko, use kombu dashi, add extra mushrooms and vegetables.
  • Mugs with foil lids work fine if you don’t have chawanmushi cups.
  • Keeps refrigerated 2 days. Reheat by steaming 2 minutes.