Clam Chawan Mushi

Name: Clam Chawan Mushi
Yield: makes 6 individual custards
Ingredients: 1 fennel bulb, sliced; 1 medium onion, sliced; 2 celery ribs, sliced; 5 large button mushrooms, quartered; 1 cup/250 grams dry vermouth; 2 dozen littleneck clams; 3 large eggs; 1 tablespoon/20 grams soy sauce; 1/4 cup/60 grams dry vermouth; 3 tablespoons/42 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced; 1 celery rib, diced; Celery leaves

December 9, 2011

While most custard is made with eggs and dairy, classic Japanese chawan mushi is made using stock. There’s no real equivalent to chawan mushi. It is a light and deeply savory custard. The egg-to-liquid ratio is 3:1, designed so there is slightly more liquid than the eggs can hold. This way, as you dip the spoon into the custard, it releases some of its juices and creates its own sauce. Here we’ve used fresh clams to make the broth. Its buttery flavor speaks of our American heritage. We’ve garnished the custards with the clams, celery, and jalapeño instead of cooking them inside the custard, as would be traditional; this preserves the texture of the littlenecks. As with all steamed custards, it’s important to keep a close eye on things because the time difference between a smooth, silky custard and a grainy, scrambled mess is less than you might think.

Recipe notes

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