This recipe, adapted from Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa of Den in Tokyo, focuses on creating a creamy and delicate chawanmushi, a Japanese egg custard dish. The recipe emphasizes a lower liquid-to-egg ratio, allowing the richness of the egg to shine.
The mixture is then steamed in teacups or ramekins until set. The final touch is the addition of the celery root purée on top, adding a delightful textural contrast to the silken custard.
This creamy yet delicate half-custard, half-flan is an elegant start to a meal. Zaiyu Hasegawa, the chef of Den in Tokyo, beats the eggs — just half an egg per person — with dashi, a stock of kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes) that brings a mellow brine and a tinge of smoke. The eggs and dashi, now one, are run through a sieve for smoothness, and seasoned with usukuchi, a lighter-bodied and slightly saltier soy sauce with a tart finish. Pour the mixture into teacups or ramekins and let it steam on the stovetop. While some recipes call for a higher ratio of liquid to egg, here the egg, the richest ingredient, comes to the fore. As a grace note, Mr. Hasegawa suggests a purée of celery root melted down with butter, earthy-sweet. Spoon it on top once the custard has set. With the first bite, the faint chewiness of the celery root gives way to silk and surrender. —Ligaya Mishan
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