Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Chawanmushi With Manila Clams and Shiitake Mushrooms

By Sonoko Sakai
Chawanmushi with Manila clams and shiitake mushrooms in four ramekins.
Photo by Rick Poon

Chawanmushi is a savory, soupy warm custard. It makes a wonderful first course, served either hot or cold. The clams and shiitake mushroom dashi impart a rich and subtly salty flavor to this custard, and the herb is a very important garnish to brighten this dish. Be sure to start by hydrating the dried mushrooms the night before you plan to serve the chawanmushi.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Japanese Home Cooking' by Sonoko Sakai. Buy the full book on Amazon.

What you’ll need

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Wampanoaug Clam Fritters
The clams’ natural briny sweetness serves as a surprising foil for the tender fritter batter—just be sure to pull off the tough outer coating of the siphon.
Oven-Fried Shrimp
Kewpie Mayonnaise is the ultimate secret ingredient to creating a perfect oven-baked battered-and-fried crunch without a deep fryer.
Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles)
Cool off with this easy zaru soba recipe: a Japanese dish of chewy buckwheat noodles served with chilled mentsuyu dipping sauce, daikon, nori, and scallions.
Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Spaghetti)
Spaghetti is a common variation in modern Thai cooking. It’s so easy to work with and absorbs the garlicky, spicy notes of pad kee mao well.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
Green Curry Mussels
The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.
Beef Stroganoff Ramen
This traditional dish of beef, sour cream, and mustard may have originated in Russia, but it’s about time for a version with ramen noodles, don’t you think?