Celebrate the king of mushrooms with my silky Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushroom recipe. Considered a prized delicacy as Japan‘s truffle, pine mushroom adds a heavenly aroma and flavor to this steamed savory egg custard appetizer.
Chawanmushi is a savory egg custard that is often served as an appetizer. The egg mixture is flavored with dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin, and it is steamed in a cup. There are many variations of Chawanmushi and restaurants in Japan usually include seasonal ingredients. Today I used one of the most popular ingredients in fall – Matsutake mushroom.
As I mentioned in my Matsutake Gohan post, the matsutake mushroom (pine mushroom) is prized by the Japanese for its distinct aromatic odor and flavor. Its place in Japanese cuisine is very similar to black and white truffle for the French. In Japan, top-quality domestic Matsutake mushrooms could sell for as much as $1000 per pound.
Supermarkets sell imported Matsutake mushrooms for less expensive prices, but people still try to buy domestically as long as the price is not too expensive. Luckily, even though we live in the US, we are able to get fresh Matsutake mushrooms at a nearby Japanese supermarket (grown in the US) for about $40 per pound.
Matsutake mushroom is typically enjoyed in a soup or rice dish, but Chawanmushi is another fantastic way to enjoy this special flavor with its unique essence and taste.
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Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushroom
Ingredients
- 4 pieces shrimp (peeled and deveined; or substitute ½ chicken thigh)
- ½ Tbsp sake (for marinating the shrimp)
- 1 matsutake mushroom
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 ginkgo nuts (pre-cooked; optional)
- 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes) (or use sliced kamaboko fish cake)
For the Seasonings
- ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- ½ tsp mirin
- ½ tsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (usukuchi soy sauce keeps the egg custard color from getting too dark; or use regular soy sauce in a pinch)
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Marinate 4 pieces shrimp (or chicken that‘s cut into small pieces) in ½ Tbsp sake for 15 minutes.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Clean 1 matsutake mushroom with a damp towel or paper towel. Do not wash the mushroom. Cut it into thin slices.
- Whisk 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) in a medium bowl, without making air bubbles. Add and whisk all the seasonings: ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), ½ tsp mirin, ½ tsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce, and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Then, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. This makes a refined and silky custard texture.
To Assemble the Chawanmushi
- Divide all the ingredients into individual chawanmushi cups. For each cup, I start with one shrimp, a ginkgo nut, and some sliced matsutake mushroom. Then, I add two slices of narutomaki (fish cakes) and another shrimp. Lastly, I tie a knot in each stem of mitsuba (optional) and place it on top of the shrimp. (Place the colorful ingredients near the surface.) Gently pour the egg mixture into the cups without creating bubbles. Instead of covering the ingredients completely with the egg mixture, leave some ingredients exposed so it will be visually pleasing when cooked. Put on the cup‘s lid; if you don‘t use chawanmushi cups, cover tightly with aluminum foil.
To Cook the Chawanmushi
- In a large pot, boil enough water to go halfway up the sides of the chawanmushi cups. Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest heat. Gently place the chawanmushi cups inside the gently simmering water. Cover the pot with the lid. Steam for 25–30 minutes on the lowest heat. If you are not adding shrimp and/or chicken, the cooking time should only be 15–20 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the custard. If clear liquid comes out, it‘s done.
To Serve
- Serve the Chawanmushi with Matsutake Mushroom warm with a spoon.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in a chawanmushi cup and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, steam for 2 minutes.
What can I substitute for sake? I would not like to get a bottle of sake and use only half a tablespoon to marinate the shrimp.
Hi Antonio! Dry sherry or Chinese rice wine is the best substitute. If you don’t have it, you can skip. 🙂 Sake is used often to remove the unwanted odor of fish, seafood, and meat in Japanese cooking.
[…] 12. Matsutake Chawanmushi 松茸の茶碗蒸し […]
I had some beautiful chanterelle mushrooms and after sautéing them, I followed your recipe substituting them for the matsutake. Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
I love chanterelle mushrooms! What a wonderful idea to include them in chawanmushi. I can already imagine the flavor and umami trapped in the savory custard! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
I made your matsutake chawanmushi last night and it was the BEST recipe ever to showcase the wondrous matsutake mushroom. I used shrimp and small pieces of chicken thigh. Jus wondrous. Thank you!
Hi Nicole! I’m so happy to hear you liked this chawanmushi! Isn’t it amazing? Thank you so much for stopping by to write your kind feedback. xo 🙂
Hi Nami, our local Japanese market has matsutake this week and they are selling at $60/lb. I am going to make chawanmushi with them tonight and then matsutake gohan tomorrow. Wish me luck! Thank you so much for posting these wonderful recipes and pictures.
Hi Mandy! I saw Matsutake at my local Japanese market too! I haven’t bought one this year yet. Maybe if I find good one, I’ll try to make a new recipe. 🙂 I hope you enjoy Matsutake Gohan and Chawanmushi! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this! I have a single matsutake mushroom and this would be the perfect way to enjoy it.
Just prepared and devoured this delightful dish! Can’t wait to buy more matsutake mushrooms and make it again :). Thank you!
Thank you so much for letting me know that you enjoyed this recipe!! Yay!!! I still see Matsutake in a Japanese supermarket I go to. Enjoy until it lasts!