With just a few adjustments, I’ve come up with a flavor-packed Paleo, Whole30, and Keto version of chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し) that you can steam on the stove, bake in a water bath, or pop into a sous vide cooker.
Poke a spoon through the delicate, quivering surface of these savory Japanese steamed egg custards, and you’ll find a treasure trove of ingredients inside: diced seafood, poultry, and veggies.
Time to make paleo chawanmushi!
Serves 5
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 cups organic chicken broth, bone broth, or homemade dashi
- 5 teaspoons coconut aminos, divided
- 1½ teaspoon Paleo-friendly fish sauce, divided
- 4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 ounces shrimp, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 medium shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- Freshly-ground pepper
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
Cooking Equipment:
- five 8-ounce cups or ramekins
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Steamer insert
- Large stock pot
- Medium bowl
- Balloon whisk
- Fine mesh sieve or strainer
- Plastic wrap or aluminum foil
- Sous vide cooker (optional)
Here’s what you do:
You’ll need a bunch of 8-ounce cups or ramekins for this recipe. Try to get pretty ones. No one wants to eat chawanmushi out of a “30 and Dirty” coffee mug. (Incidentally, my dad still has one of those mugs. My sister and I bought it for him as a Father’s Day gift when we were little, despite the fact that he was neither 30 nor dirty.)
We have a set of Japanese tea cups with lids, which are perfect for this recipe. After all, “chawan” literally means “tea cups” in Japanese (and “mushi” means steaming.)
Put a steamer insert into a large stockpot and add water until it’s just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil on the stove, and then turn down the heat to medium. The water should be at a constant simmer.
Crack the eggs in a medium bowl, and add the salt. Whisk until well-mixed.
In a separate measuring cup, combine the chicken broth,1 tablespoon of coconut aminos, and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Pour the broth into the beaten eggs and mix well.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup to filter out the eggy goo and froth.
Combine chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms in a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons of coconut aminos, ½ teaspoon of fish sauce, and some freshly-ground black pepper. (Not a fan of these particular ingredients? No worries. Feel free to use whatever savory meats and veggies you want.)
Mix everything together and set the bowl aside.
Grab the 8-ounce cups or ramekins and put a heaping tablespoon of the meaty filling in each one.
Pour the egg mixture into each cup. Stop when you’re a half-inch from the top.
Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Place the cups on the steamer insert in the pot*, making sure to keep the liquid level.
Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
The custards will be quivery and delicate to the touch. They should be set, but when you pierce the top, the chawanmushi’s texture should be almost soup-like. Don’t let these babies get cold – serve ‘em immediately, topped with sliced scallions and minced cilantro.
*Looking for a different way to cook these custards? Check out these two alternative techniques:
- Mod #1: If you can’t fit the cups in a steamer, cobble together a bain marie: Put the foil-covered cups or ramekins in a towel-lined baking dish filled halfway up with boiling water, and stick it in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes.
- Mod #2: If you’re feeling particularly fancy, try steaming the cups in a sous vide cooker set at 195°F for 60 to 90 minutes.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Paleo Chawanmushi (Savory Egg Custard)
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups organic chicken broth bone broth, or homemade dashi
- 5 teaspoons coconut aminos divided
- 1½ teaspoons Red Boat fish sauce divided
- 4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 ounces shrimp cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 medium shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
- Freshly-ground pepper
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
Instructions
- You’ll need a bunch of 8-ounce cups or ramekins for this recipe. Try to get pretty ones. We have a set of Japanese tea cups with lids, which are perfect for this recipe. After all, “chawan” literally means “tea cups” in Japanese (and “mushi” means steaming.)
- Put a steamer insert into a large stockpot and add water until it’s just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil on the stove, and then turn down the heat to medium. The water should be at a constant simmer.
- Crack the eggs in a medium bowl, and add the salt. Whisk until well-mixed.
- In a separate measuring cup, combine the chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos, and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Pour the broth into the beaten eggs and mix well.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup to filter out the eggy goo and froth.
- Combine chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms in a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons of coconut aminos, ½ teaspoon of fish sauce, and some freshly-ground black pepper.
- Mix everything together and set the bowl aside.
- Grab the 8-ounce cups or ramekins and put a heaping tablespoon of the meaty filling in each one.
- Pour the egg mixture into each cup. Stop when you’re a half-inch from the top.
- Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Place the cups on the steamer insert in the pot*, making sure to keep the liquid level.
- Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- The custards will be quivery and delicate to the touch. They should be set, but when you pierce the top, the chawanmushi’s texture should be almost soup-like. Don’t let these babies get cold – serve ‘em immediately, topped with sliced scallions and minced cilantro.
Notes
- Mod #1: If you can’t fit the cups in a steamer, cobble together a bain marie: Put the foil-covered cups or ramekins in a towel-lined baking dish filled halfway up with boiling water, and stick it in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes.
- Mod #2: If you’re feeling particularly fancy, try steaming the cups in a sous vide cooker set at 195°F for 60 to 90 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you are using a sous vide, do you cover the mason jars with their lids or put the water halfway up the jars? Thanks
I would cover with the lids.