Chawan Mushi is a popular Japanese egg custard dish. In fact special China cups are made for preparing and serving the custard. The cups come with lids that are used to keep the custard warm for a while after it is served. In my recipe I have substituted ramekins for the traditional cups.

2 ½ cups Dashi* (may substitute with vegetable stock)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce
½ cup maitake mushroom petals
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
Grapeseed oil to cook
Salt and pepper to taste
4 small ramekins or tea cups

*Dashi is the traditional Japanese stock. It is prepared with konbu, a nutritious seaweed and flakes of dried bonito, a fish that’s long been a staple of the Japanese diet. If you are low on time, you can use dashi powder to make the stock, just look for brands that contain no MSG.

Dashi

1 piece (about 5 X 6 inches) Konbu
1 cup Bonito Flakes

Begin by cleaning the konbu by wiping it with a damp cloth. Place the konbu in a stockpot with 5 cups of cold water and heat over medium heat. Just before the water boils, remove it from the heat. Watch carefully; you do not want the water to boil or the dashi will become too strongly flavored. Allow to stand 5 minutes, remove the konbu and return the pot to medium heat. When the stock once again nears the boiling point, remove the pot from the heat and add the bonito flakes. When the flakes sink to the bottom of the pot, strain the dashi through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer.

In a large bowl, whish together the Dashi, eggs and soy sauce. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Skim the bubbles and the foam off the top.

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the maitakes and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Evenly divide the cooked maitakes among the ramekins and sprinkle it with the scallions.

Fill the ramekins with 4 oz. of the egg mixture, making sure not to create any bubbles. Place the ramekin in a hot water bath and cover with aluminum foil.*

Place the pan in a 375 degree oven for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

*Fill a metal pan with enough boiling water so that the water goes halfway up the side of the ramekin.

Per Serving: 97 calories, 4.4 g fat, 6.5g protein, 7.0g carbohydrates, 159 mg cholesterol, 510.8 mg sodium