Chawanmushi

The bubbles that form when the egg is mixed and strained don't look good, so rather than leaving them, quickly pass a flame such as a kitchen torch over the surface to remove them easily. Be careful not to take too long over this step, because the egg mixture - the beaten egg combined with dashi - will sink and become harder to set. Steam over high heat for about 2 minutes; once the surface gradually turns white, switch to low heat at that point. Once you start making this dish you can't leave it unattended, so the key is to keep track of the time as you work. Also, leaving the lid of the steamer slightly open loosens the egg custard a little and gives it a smoother melt in the mouth. There are a few points to watch when making steamed dishes. First, once you start steaming you cannot redo it partway through, so stay with it the whole time and watch the heat until it's done. Also, because the aroma seals in raw odors along with it, the ingredients you add to the base should be very fresh, and it's best to choose ones that aren't too fatty or too strong-smelling.

In my case, I was making chawanmushi (a savory steamed egg custard) from my very first year working in the kitchen. Chawanmushi is a dish that's especially appreciated in the cold months ahead, and I think just having it on the menu adds a sense of luxury to a meal. It takes some effort in the prep work, but the ingredient cost is low, so it earns its keep as an affordable item.

① Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms in water starting the day before, then simmer them in dashi. Once the stems have softened, add sugar; once the dashi has reduced by half, add regular soy sauce. Once there is only a small amount left, add tamari soy sauce and mirin, then let cool and cut.

② Crack the ginkgo nut shells, boil, and peel off the thin inner skin. Then plunge into cold water.

③ Fillet the sea bream, then slice it on the diagonal (sogi-giri), sprinkle with salt, and grill to suppress the raw-fish odor.

④ Remove the sinew from the chicken tenderloin (sasami), cut into bite-sized pieces, and rinse it in soy sauce and sake used in addition to the quantities listed.

⑤ Devein the shrimp and remove the shell completely.

⑥ Cut the fu (wheat gluten cake), mitsuba, and yuzu into suitably sized pieces.

⑦ Bring the dashi to a boil, add the seasonings, and let cool.

⑧ Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them, add the dashi from the previous step, mix well, and strain through a sieve.

⑨ Place all the ingredients except the mitsuba and yuzu into the serving bowl, pour in the egg mixture from the previous step, and remove the bubbles.

⑩ Place into a steamer once it's producing a full head of steam.

⑪ Steam over high heat for about 2 minutes; once the surface turns white, reduce to low heat and steam for about 15 minutes, taking care not to let small holes form.

⑫ Once steamed through, top with the mitsuba, leave the steamer lid slightly open, and let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

⑬ Once finished, top with yuzu.