09/13/2026
Chow Chowanmushi by way of a Southern pantry.
Chawanmushi is a Japanese savory steamed egg custard traditionally built around dashi and cooked gently enough that the egg sets without curdling, leaving a barely-there, silken texture. For ours, we steep the base with smoked corn cobs and shiitake mushrooms, pulling sweetness and smoke from what’s left after the kernels are removed and layering that with the natural glutamates in the mushrooms.
On top, chow chow: A pickled relish with a long history of preserving the abundance of odds and ends of the summer garden for later in the year in the American South. Ours changes with what’s coming through the door right now— local C***o di Toro peppers, zucchini, carrots, and peas— pickled in red bud vinegar for acidity and a little floral fruitiness.
Two preservation-minded food traditions meeting in a few bites, born out of gentle steaming, smoking, steeping and pickling, and an excuse to make something delicious out of a corn cob.
