Dinner Party Series: Chawanmushi + Tokyo Mule

My friends and I are deep in our dinner party era which calls for experimenting with new recipes! Here are two quick recipes that will wow any guest.

Chawanmushi

Cook time: 25 minutes | Yields: 10-12 servings (depending on cup size)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 eggs

  • 5 cups of dashi

  • 3 tsp mirin

  • 3 tsp shoyu

  • 1/2 tbsp salt

  • 1/2 block of kamaboko (fishcake)

  • 1 carrot, diced or cut into shapes of choice

  • ikura

  • 1 box of shimeji mushrooms

  • green onions

  • sesame oil

  • optional: sesame seeds, chili oil

instructions:

  1. Add the eggs, dashi, mirin, shoyu, and salt into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Pour the liquid through a mesh strainer into a pitcher or large container.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Into small cups that are about the size of a coffee mug, pour the liquid in 3/4 of the way full. Add your toppings in except for the ikura and green onions. Use a chopstick to submerge the vegetables into the custard mixture then cover each cup with foil.

  3. Make a sous-vide bath by boiling 4 cups of hot water, pouring it into a baking dish, and placing it on the bottom rack of your oven. This will create a steam bath for your eggs. Place each cup into a baking dish or tray and set it on the top rack of your oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

  4. You will know if they’re done by peaking under the foil and gently jiggling the cup. If the mixture is undercooked, it will have a liquid texture. Place back into the oven for 5 minutes and add more water to the bottom rack’s baking dish for more steam. Repeat until the the desired texture is reached.

  5. Before serving, add the green onions, ikura, a drizzle of sesame oil, and any other optional toppings of your choice. These dishes are meant to be served hot and as a light, refreshing appetizer.

Tokyo Mule

INGREDIENTS:

Apple Ginger Syrup (makes ~ 1 cup of syrup)

  • 1 fuji apple, cubed and including the core/skin

  • 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced and skin on

  • 1 cup of water

  • 1 cup of sugar

The Tokyo Mule (for 1 drink)

  • 1.5 shots of Toki Suntory Whisky (1.5 oz)

  • 1/2 shot of apple ginger syrup (0.5 oz)

  • 1/2 can of ginger beer (4 oz)

  • 1/4 tsp of yuzu extract (0.16 oz)

  • Ice to fill the glass

  • 1 bunch of mint

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Make the apple ginger syrup at least 2 hours ahead of time. Add all the ingredients into a pot and place on the stove top for 1 hour., or until the mixture has reduce by half. It should be a thick, syrup like consistency.

  2. Strain the apple and ginger from the syrup and store in the fridge.

  3. To make the drink ahead of time for serving later, I suggest pre-mixing everything and storing in a large jar so you simply need to add ice, mint, and ginger beer. Please note that yuzu is a very strong ingredient that can easily overpower the drink’s flavor. If you’re afraid of adding too much yuzu into the pre-mix, I suggest omitting that for later.

  4. Using a shaker, add the syrup, yuzu, and whisky together and shake vigorously until combined. Place into a jar for later. When making each drink, pour a heaping 2 shots of the mixture per (1.5 shots for whisky + 0.5 shot for syrup)

  5. When you’re ready to make the drink, muddle the mint leaves with the pre-mix and add 1/2 a can of ginger beer with enough ice to fill the glass.

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