What Are We Cooking Tonight?

"What are we cooking tonight? What is your signature dish?" The host of this evening's culinary adventure asks, setting the stage for a unique dining experience. "Chawa Mushi" seems to be the dish of choice, and our chef has done this a thousand times before. However, it's clear that even experienced cooks can run into challenges when trying new recipes.

The Challenge Begins

The host begins by preparing the ingredients, including sea scallops, pickled Fresnos, and kombu seaweed for the Dashi broth. Kombu is known for its oceanic Umami flavor, which adds depth to the dish. The host then whisks eggs with mirin and soy sauce, combining them with the Dashi liquid to create a custard base. This is the crucial part of the recipe, as getting the custard steamed or baked without incident can be tricky.

A Water Bath Solution

To mitigate the risk of undercooked custard, our chef decides to use a water bath method. She fills small Ramekin dishes with the custard mixture and places them in a larger container filled with hot water. This way, the custard will steam instead of bake, giving it a tender and creamy texture.

Bobby's Oven Method

Meanwhile, Bobby is using his oven to cook the scallops. While this method may not be as traditional as steaming or baking, it works for him. The host comments that Bobby is doing a great job, even if he doesn't quite understand the intricacies of Japanese cooking.

Coaching Tips from Jet and Ally

As we watch Bobby cook, the hosts, Jet and Ally, offer some unexpected coaching tips on relationships. It seems that these two have been observing Bobby's interactions with his partner, Ali, and have come up with some insightful observations about what makes a great marriage. When Ali says "it's fine," it may not mean she's completely at ease; when she says "I don't need a gift" for her birthday, she means she values the thought behind the gesture, not just the physical gift itself.

The Final Touches

With five minutes left to go in the cooking time, our chef adds a Japanese spice blend called togarashi to the pickled Fresnos. This adds a unique and complex flavor profile to the dish. As for Bobby's custard, it emerges from the oven slightly undercooked but still edible.

The Finished Dish

The host presents the finished Chawa Mushi, featuring sea scallops topped with pickled togarashi and salmon roe. While the custard may not be perfectly cooked, the combination of flavors and textures is undeniable. The dish is a delicious representation of Japanese cuisine, with its emphasis on fresh ingredients and harmonious balance of flavors.

A Last-Minute Solution

In a moment of desperation, our chef decides to salvage the undercooked custard by topping it with a scallop and some pickled togarashi. This may not be the most elegant solution, but it's a testament to her resourcefulness in the kitchen. As she remarks, "I just know it's gonna work!"

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat are we cooking tonight what is your signature dish chawa Mushi I've done this a thousand times I've tasted this before it's like Salty Sea with eggs I'm gonna keep it simple maybe bring in some sea scallop and some pickled Fresnos first I have to create the Dashi he's got kombu which is a seaweed it gives you a ocean Umami flavor you might not have made this dish before but he knows what he's doing there Bonita flake is uh salty let's Let It steep there for a few minutes take it out I don't want to be too strong strain it out and then cool it I see chilies I see garlic I'm not in Japan anymore I whisk some eggs with a fork with mirin and some soy sauce so I'm combining the Dashi liquid with the eggs Bobby though is on the right path the challenging thing is getting a custard steamed or baked no idea if this is going to work so I filled little Ramekin dishes and put it in a water bath so that it steams and then uh pray I'm like I want to put 30 minutes on the on my time I put this 28 minutes left Bobby's using the oven but the traditional method is to actually put it in a full steam custard is like the canvas and then you can paint it however you want so I'm going to see the scallops a little salt and pepper and that's it scallops are delicate they have a nice sweet ocean flavor really smart move hey Bob Bob since you're doing a great job of losing on your own yeah I figure we can help you on the things you're winning at which is this beautiful relationship of yours we thought we'd kind of give you some coaching tips on what it takes for a great marriage for example when Ali says it's fine you know what that means it's not fine and when she says for her birthday I don't need a gift what she really means is she's a big gift and then the final one of uh when you're watching the horses and she says this is so fun she hates it Jet and Ally are giving me relationship advice but I think it's fair to say that to it it's gonna work I I just know it five minutes left togarashi is a Japanese spice blend I'm mixing it with pickled Fresnos kind of a cool flavor Bobby you just tasted something and you were happy what was it I made a pickle togarashi it's really good this is like impossible is your custard working oh man go go go go go one minute Crank It Up Crank It Up please work this is nuts the challenge mushy comes out of the oven and puts a little liquidy but what am I gonna do so I put the scallop on top salmon row I put the Pickled togarashi two one it probably tastes good but obviously my custard is not cooked completely that doesn't look like it's cooked neither of themwhat are we cooking tonight what is your signature dish chawa Mushi I've done this a thousand times I've tasted this before it's like Salty Sea with eggs I'm gonna keep it simple maybe bring in some sea scallop and some pickled Fresnos first I have to create the Dashi he's got kombu which is a seaweed it gives you a ocean Umami flavor you might not have made this dish before but he knows what he's doing there Bonita flake is uh salty let's Let It steep there for a few minutes take it out I don't want to be too strong strain it out and then cool it I see chilies I see garlic I'm not in Japan anymore I whisk some eggs with a fork with mirin and some soy sauce so I'm combining the Dashi liquid with the eggs Bobby though is on the right path the challenging thing is getting a custard steamed or baked no idea if this is going to work so I filled little Ramekin dishes and put it in a water bath so that it steams and then uh pray I'm like I want to put 30 minutes on the on my time I put this 28 minutes left Bobby's using the oven but the traditional method is to actually put it in a full steam custard is like the canvas and then you can paint it however you want so I'm going to see the scallops a little salt and pepper and that's it scallops are delicate they have a nice sweet ocean flavor really smart move hey Bob Bob since you're doing a great job of losing on your own yeah I figure we can help you on the things you're winning at which is this beautiful relationship of yours we thought we'd kind of give you some coaching tips on what it takes for a great marriage for example when Ali says it's fine you know what that means it's not fine and when she says for her birthday I don't need a gift what she really means is she's a big gift and then the final one of uh when you're watching the horses and she says this is so fun she hates it Jet and Ally are giving me relationship advice but I think it's fair to say that to it it's gonna work I I just know it five minutes left togarashi is a Japanese spice blend I'm mixing it with pickled Fresnos kind of a cool flavor Bobby you just tasted something and you were happy what was it I made a pickle togarashi it's really good this is like impossible is your custard working oh man go go go go go one minute Crank It Up Crank It Up please work this is nuts the challenge mushy comes out of the oven and puts a little liquidy but what am I gonna do so I put the scallop on top salmon row I put the Pickled togarashi two one it probably tastes good but obviously my custard is not cooked completely that doesn't look like it's cooked neither of them\n"