Chawanmushi Rice Bowl with Ginger Crab Glaze

Method

1. Beat the eggs with chopsticks without making foam, mix in part of the dashi, half the soy sauce and mirin and the salt, then pour through a fine sieve. The dashi must be cooled.

   Add in this stepEggs 2Dashi, cooled 242 mlSoy sauce 1 tspMirin 1 tspSalt 1 pinch

2. Put the warm rice in 2 × 500 ml heatproof bowls (wide, shallow soup or rice bowls) and press it gently flat with a spoon. Pour the egg mixture quietly over the rice, skim off any bubbles and cover with foil. The rice soaks up a little of the custard and turns soft and moist.

   Add in this stepWarm cooked short-grain rice 360 g

3. Pour 3–4 cm of water into a 24 cm steamer pot and heat on high heat for 6 min until it steams hard.

   high heat

4. Put in the bowls, cover and steam on high heat for 2 min, then turn down to low heat, set the lid slightly ajar and steam for 10 min. It is done when the surface wobbles like pudding when you nudge the bowl and pressing the edge with a spoon brings up clear liquid.

   high heat→low heat

5. While it steams, put the rest of the dashi, soy sauce and mirin and the ginger in a 16 cm saucepan and warm on medium heat for 2 min. Shred the crab sticks into it and, once it bubbles, drizzle in the slaked starch while stirring until glossy and thick.

   Add in this stepDashi, cooled 198 mlSoy sauce 1 tspMirin 1 tspGrated fresh ginger 1 tspCrab sticks (surimi) 4Potato starch 2 tspWater (to slake the starch) 2 tbsp

   medium heat

6. Pour plenty of glaze over the steamed bowls, scatter over the spring onion and add a few drops of sesame oil. Serve at once and dig the spoon right down to the rice.

   Add in this stepThinly sliced spring onion 2 tbspToasted sesame oil ½ tsp