Chawan-mushi (Cup-steamed savoury egg custard)

Ingredients ( Serves 4 )

・2 eggs
・1½ cups (300 ml) dashi (Japanese-style stock) (or stock made from such as vegetables, chicken, or seafood)
・1 teaspoon soy sauce (5ml)
・¼ teaspoon salt
・4 small prawns
・40 g spinach

How to cook

1. Shell and de-vein the prawns. Simmer the spinach in boiling water, then rinse and drain and cut into 3-4 cm pieces.
2. Add the salt and soy sauce to the dashi stock. Beat eggs well, and add the seasoned stock to make the egg and stock mixture.
3. Have ready 4 heat-proof cups. Place a prawn and spinach in each cup. Pour the egg and stock mixture.
4. Pour water into a good-sized saucepan until it is about 1cm deep, and bring to the boil. Stand the cups in the water. Place the lid slightly askew and steam over low heat for 15 minutes.

Dashi (Japanese-style stock)

Ingredients ( Serves 4 )

・1 cup (6 g) dried bonito flakes
・2 cups (400 ml) water

How to cook

1. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan.
2. Have a bowl, and a fine sieve or moistened tea towel ready.
3. Add the cup of bonito flakes to the boiling water; reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 minute.
4. Strain through the sieve or over the moistened tea towel that has been stretched over the bowl.

Dashi: Japanese-style stock

Japanese cuisine places great emphasis on the flavor and fragrance of the dashi or stock rendered from dried bonito and so on. They can be prepared from a variety of ingredients, the most common being katsuo-bushi (the shavings of smoked and dried bonito) and kombu seaweed. Stocks are also rendered from such as dried shiitake mushrooms, small fish, and chicken bones.  The stocks are used in a range of dishes: clear soup, miso soup, simmered foods, dipping sauces for noodles, hot pots, etc.  It can take many years to become adept at producing the stocks suited to different dishes.
Instant dashi is also available in powdered form or sachets. The powder merely has to be added to hot water, while the sachets only need to be boiled in water.