Chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard)

Ponzu sauce:

1. I recommend using juice from different citrus fruits. I usually use a combination of orange, lemon and lime.
2. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce.
3. In addition, you can add chopped ginger, garlic or green onions.

Dashi:

1. To prepare chawanmushi, you need stock (known as dashi). There are several types of it in Japanese cuisine. The most classic is Awase Dashi, which is a stock made from smoked bonito tuna flakes and dried kombu seaweed.
2. If you want to make a vegan version, use shitake mushrooms instead of tuna flakes.
3. To make the broth, pour water into a pot and add kombu.
4. If you are making a vegan version, you can add shitake mushrooms at the start.
5. Over medium heat, slowly cook the broth for about 10 minutes. The broth should not boil.  
6. As it cooks, remove any foam that appears with a spoon or strainer.
7. After about 10 minutes, remove the seaweed and add the dried tuna flakes (leaving the seaweed longer will add an unpleasant bitter aftertaste).
8. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for under a minute.
9. Then take the whole thing off the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
10. Finally, pour the broth through a sieve.

Chawanmushi:

1. Prepare the containers in which you will serve the chawanmushi. Traditionally, special cups with a lid are used. However, you can use any ceramic bowl or mug. Remember that they must be heat-resistant.
2. Check how much liquid your cups can hold. The size of the dish affects the cooking time. My cups hold 300 ml (10 fl. oz.) of liquid, which translates into a cooking time of about 20 minutes.
3. Peel and wash the vegetables of your choice.
4. Cut shitake mushrooms into thin slices (you can use dried mushrooms. Remember to soak them for several hours, or preferably overnight).
5. You can cut the shrimp into smaller pieces or leave them whole. It depends on the kind used and the size.
6. Cut the rest of the vegetables and ingredients into thin pieces, such as carrots into ~3 mm (0.1 inch) thick slices. The firmer the vegetable, the thinner the slices you need.
7. Arrange the sliced vegetables in the prepared dishes. You can cook some of the ingredients in a separate bowl filled with water or dashi and add them on top after cooking. This way they won't sink to the bottom and will look nice.
8. In a bowl, mix all the cream ingredients. For the best consistency, add dashi in a 3 to 1 ratio to the eggs, e.g. for 150 g (~5.5 oz.) eggs add 450 ml (15 fl. oz.) of dashi. I recommend pouring the entire mixture through a strainer. This will make the finished cream velvety smooth.
9. Pour the mixture into the prepared containers.
10. You can carry out the cooking in several ways. Use a steamer strainer or a pot filled with water up to half the height of the chawanmushi dishes.
11. Whichever method you choose, boil the water in the pot and then reduce the heatr to low.
12. The cooking should be steady and gentle. This will avoid the formation of bubbles on the surface of the custard.
13. I recommend wrapping the lid of the pot or strainer in a cloth. This will prevent water from condensing inside the bowls.
14. Cook the chawanmushi for about 15-20 minutes. Depending on the amount of cream.
15. The finished custard will be solidified. Check by tilting the dish (if it is pourable, cook for another 2 minutes and check again).
16. Remember not to overcook. The cream should be tender and velvety, not rubbery.
17. Once cooked, add the mitsuba or parsley leaves and any ingredients that cooked separately.
18. You can serve chawanmushi both hot and cold.

Recipe prepared in cooperation with the store Kuchnie Świata