Seaweed & Mushroom Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is a delicate, ethereal egg custard from Japan.

Seaweed Dashi

1 litre of filtered water

5g dried pine mushrooms (Tully’s Corner)

10g dried wild Wakame (Southern Seagreens)

2g smoked Mekabu (Southern Seagreens)

Put the ingredients together in a pot and bring up to

60C degrees very slowly. Hold that temperature for 30 minutes. Allow to cool down before straining, set aside.

Chawanmushi

50ml seaweed dashi (recipe above)

15ml sake

15ml soy sauce

3 eggs (Lil’s Yolky Dokey Eggs)

100g diced mushrooms (McCrae Mushrooms)

30g unsalted butter

Tapioca Pearls

300ml dashi stock

20g tapioca pearls

1tsp chopped Wakame (from Southern Seagreens)

1tsp chopped shio kombu

1tsp toasted sesame seeds

chopped chives and garlic flowers

• Method: Mix the dashi, sake, soy and eggs together using a whisk, pass through a fine sieve. Cook the diced mushrooms in the butter and drain well. Place the cooked mushrooms on the bottom of a serving cup/bowl and pour the custard mix over the top. Place over a bamboo steamer and cook for about 15 minutes until set.

  Bring the dashi to the boil, stir in the tapioca and cook until translucent (7 to 8 minutes) Add the chopped wakame, shio kombu and sesame seeds, adjust seasoning if necessary.

  Spoon a little of the tapioca mix on top of the chawanmushi.

  Serve: sprinkle with chives and top with garlic flowers.