Slipper Lobster Chawanmushi

Theres a couple tricks when it comes to making Chawanmushi. Ensuring you stick to a 1 part egg to 2.5 parts dashi mix will give you the best results. Straining the mixture will help to break up the egg white membrane ensuring you get a super silky texture and finally steaming your custard when there almost no bubbles breaking the surface of the water will stop any bubbles forming in your custard.

Slipper lobster aren’t something many people seem to even be aware of. They’re something in ive been super interested in trying to find for a long time, always looking in cracks and caves but with no luck. When my mate called out that he’d found a few though I couldn’t help but start thinking of this dish that I’ve been dreaming of for so long. I’ve wanted to make this dish for a very long time now. Chawanmushi is a silky smooth Japanese savoury custard made from a combination of egg and dashi with a little sake, mirin, light soy sauce and a little pinch of salt. Typically it’s made with a variety of seafood and vegetables but instead I simply placed a slipper lobster tail on top and made an indulgent lobster butter to cover the whole thing. Baking the shells from a few lobster in the oven to dry them out I then crushed them up and added them to a double boiler with close to a whole stick of butter in it. Simmering for 20min I strained it off and was left with a ridiculously rich lobster sauce.