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Hot food: Savoury custard

Savoury custard is just like sweet set custard, only savoury.

Jill Dupleix
Jill Dupleix

Gossamer-light: Steamed Japanese custard.
Gossamer-light: Steamed Japanese custard.Cole Bennetts/Getty Images

What is it?

Savoury custard is just like sweet set custard, only savoury. Japan has its delicate, gossamer-light steamed chawanmushi (egg, soy and dashi stock, literally ''steamed in a teacup''), China has its silky baked egg custard, and contemporary chefs are now turning out savoury panna cotta from breakfast through to dinner.

Where is it?

Way back in 1993, Tetsuya Wakuda surprised the world with a savoury blue-cheese bavarois at Tetsuya's in Rozelle. Since then, the $220 10-course degustation menu at Tetsuya's has always led off with a silky little savoury custard, these days topped with avruga caviar.

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''It's very nice and very soft, because we cook it gently until it is j-u-u-u-st set,'' Tetsuya explains.

At Sydney's equally big-night-out Quay restaurant, chef Peter Gilmore is also a huge fan, recently creating a black custard flavoured with squid ink and garlic, and served with shaved squid and pink turnips. ''I love it for its texture, it carries flavour well and it's perfect with a broth,'' Gilmore says. ''Because it's based on stock or a stock/milk infusion and set with eggs, it's rich without being heavy.''

At Ocha in Melbourne's Hawthorn, chef/owner Yasu Yoshida has a permanent special of chawanmushi with snapper, eel, prawns, chicken, asparagus and shiitake. ''People like the softness and the delicate, silky taste,'' Yoshida says. ''You need to get the perfect ratio of eggs to dashi stock, to make it very, very light.''

Why do I care?

Because it's nourishing, comforting and as soft as a butterfly wing on your cheek.

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Can I do it at home?

Do it as a pretty first course when entertaining, or just make it part of a light lunch or brunch, using leftover roast chicken, salmon, mushrooms or prawns.

MISO CHAWANMUSHI WITH SMOKED TROUT

20g instant dashi powder

1 tbsp miso paste

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1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin

150g hot-smoked ocean trout

4 x 65g eggs

1 tbsp salmon caviar

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1 spring onion green, finely sliced on diagonal

1. Set up a steamer that will take four 150ml ramekins, Chinese bowls or small mugs.

2. Bring 600ml water to the boil, add the instant dashi powder, miso paste, soy and mirin, and simmer for 30 seconds, whisking, until smooth. Allow to cool.

3. Roughly shred the trout flesh, discarding any skin or bones. Place ¾ of the trout in the ramekins.

4. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then stir in the miso/dashi broth with chopsticks, to avoid creating air bubbles. Strain through a sieve into the ramekins, and seal the tops with foil.

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5. Steam for 8 to 9 minutes until smooth and creamy, but still lightly jiggly when moved.

6. Finely shred the remaining trout, pile on top with the salmon caviar and spring onions, and serve.

Serves 4

Sourcing

VIC

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Ocha, 3 Church Street, Hawthorn, (03) 9853 6002, ocha.com.au

NSW

Tetsuya's, 529 Kent Street, Sydney, (02) 9267 2900, tetsuyas.com

Quay, Overseas Passenger Terminal, 5 Hickson Road, The Rocks, (02) 9251 5600, quay.com.au

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Jill DupleixJill Dupleix is a Good Food contributor and reviewer who writes the Know-How column.

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