Mother’s Day Meal Ideas for Your Restaurant
14th February, 2022
Just like the rest of the world, Mother’s Day has become a popular and commercialised holiday in Japan with children taking their mothers out for a meal, showering them with flowers and gifts.
However, there’s one thing that makes the Japanese Mother’s Day experience different, and that is the day’s association with eggs. Egg dishes are popular on this day in Japan as they are regarded as a symbol of nurturing, just like a mother.
So why not create egg-based recipes for your restaurant’s Mother’s Day menu?
Chawanmushi – Starter
Chawanmushi is a delicate and savoury steamed egg custard served in a cup. This smooth and silky dish can be served both hot and cold.
Ingredients (2 servings)
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 4 large shrimps
- 5g Japanese parsley
- 4 ginkgo nuts
- 4 slices of Kamaboko (fish cake)
- 1 large egg
- 480ml dashi
- 5ml sake
- 5ml Honteri
- 10ml soy sauce
- 5g salt
Preparation method
- Divide ingredients equally. In each cup, place 1 sliced mushroom, 2 ginkgo nuts, 2 slices of fish cake, 2 sliced shrimps and 2.5g parsley.
- In a separate bowl, add the egg, Honteri, soy sauce, salt, half a cup of dashi and whisk well. Strain the mixture into another bowl to achieve a silky texture. Once done, pour into prepared cups, and cover with lid or foil.
- Add water into a large pot (the water should reach half of the cup length), bring to boil and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Place the Chawanmushi cups in hot water for 30 minutes and cover with lid. Once done, serve hot or cold.
Oyakodon – Main
Oyakodon is an umami-rich chicken and egg dish served on top of rice. The word ‘Oyakodon’ means parent and child rice bowl, making it a perfect dish for Mother’s Day.
Ingredients (2 servings)
- 200g finely sliced chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
- Half an onion, finely sliced
- 2 thinly sliced green onions
- 2 large eggs
- 6g sugar
- 250ml dashi
- 22ml sake
- 22ml soy sauce
- 22ml Honteri
- 500g boiled rice
Preparation method
- Mix sugar, dashi, soy sauce, Honteri and sake until the sugar is dissolved.
- Heat pan on medium heat, add chicken, onions, seasoning mixture, and bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Beat eggs and pour over the chicken, make sure to evenly distribute the mixture across the pan. Cover with lid and let the eggs cook for 1-3 minutes, depending on the egg consistency you want to achieve.
- Once done, pour the egg and chicken over boiled rice, followed by soup left in the pan. Garnish with spring onions and serve.
Japanese Purin – Dessert
Top off your Mother’s Day menu with the popular Japanese Purin. This creamy egg-based dessert is rich in flavour and silky in texture.
Ingredients (2 servings)
Caramel sauce:
Custard base:
- 200ml milk
- 2 medium eggs
- 30g sugar
- Drop of vanilla extract
- 2g butter
Equipment:
Preparation method
- Caramel sauce: heat water and sugar on medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, and the mixture turns into an amber colour. Once done, pour the sauce into pudding moulds (grease the moulds with butter before pouring sauce).
- Custard base: heat milk at 60-C, add sugar, vanilla extract and mix well. Beat eggs in a separate bowl, gradually add the milk to the mixture and stir well to combine the ingredients.
- Using a sieve, strain the mixture and pour in the moulds. Using a steamer, steam the pudding on low heat for 20 minutes. Once done, take the mould out of the steamer, let them cool and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour before serving on a plate.
We hope you enjoyed our egg-based recipes, made specifically for Mother’s Day. Let your customers experience the day in a Japanese style by incorporating these dishes into your restaurant’s Mother’s Day menu. Check out our Honteri page for more information on this high-quality mirin-style seasoning, and don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest news and updates within the Japanese foodservice industry.
