CHIRASHI-ZUSHI (SCATTERED SUSHI)
Added on: 29-Dec-2008 Hits: 2
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Recipe Text:

5 c. prepared sushi rice
1 1/2 c. dashi (fish stock essence)
4 tbsp. mirin (sweet cooking sake)
1 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. soy sauce
6 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 oz. kanpyo
1 oz. sliced benishoga (sliced red pickled ginger), coarsely chopped
4 med. shrimp
1/2 c. tako (octopus)
4 sticks kaniboko (imitation crab), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2/3 c. green peas
2/3 c. carrot, cleaned, cubed and cooked

Dried Shitake mushrooms - softened and trimmed. (Soak mushrooms in tepid water for 3-5 hours to soften, and then cut away stems).

Kanpyo - dried gourd shavings, softened. (Wash, knead with salt and wash again).

GARNISH:

1 egg plus 3 egg yolks - "Golden Strings"
Parsley
Benishoga, sliced (red pickled ginger)

1. Prepare SUSHI RICE. 2 cups white short grain rice, uncooked.

DRESSING:

5 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
4 tsp. mirin (sweet cooking sake) - (optional)
1 tsp. salt

Prepare rice according to directions on package.

Dissolve honey and salt in vinegar over low heat. Add mirin if desired. Force-cool to room temperature by placing hot vinegar mixture in a metal bowl and twirling bowl in a bath of water and ice.

To toss rice: Using a flat wooden spoon or proper rice paddle, spread the hot rice in a thin layer in a wide and shallow wooden or plastic bowl - some convenient substitute for a HANGIRI tub. To keep the grains separate, toss rice with horizontal, cutting strokes. This lateral motion will also keep grains from being bruised or mashed. While tossing, sprinkle vinegar dressing generously over rice. You may not have to use all the vinegar dressing. Be careful not to add so much liquid that the rice becomes mushy.

At the same time that you are tossing the rice, cool it quickly and thoroughly with a hand-fan (or a folded news paper). Get someone else to stand by and do this. A helper is more sensible than juggling the spoon and fan by yourself. The tossing and fanning takes about 10 minutes. Taste to test whether the rice is room temperature.

To keep vinegared rice from drying out, when it has cooled to room temperature, place in a container and cover with a damp cloth. Vinegared rice should be eaten the same day it is prepared; it does not keep more than 1 day. It should NOT be refrigerated. Leftovers, if there are any, unfortunately cannot be stir-fried Chinese-style to make fried rice.

THIN OMELETTE (Usuyaki Tamago) :

3 (7-inch) sheets).

2 eggs
1/3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar

To prepare: Mix eggs roughly (do not beat) and stir in salt and sugar. Strain to remove stringy bits of egg white.

To fry: Heat Japanese rectangular egg pan or 7- or 8-inch (18- or 20-cm) skillet over medium heat. Grease pan very lightly with an oil- dampened cloth swab. Test pan for temperature by dropping a bit of egg in the center. It should sizzle.

Pour 1/3 egg mixture into pan and tilt quickly so egg mixture spreads evenly over the bottom.

Keep over low heat, and when surface of egg mixture is almost dry, use spatula to loosen edge and then insert spatula under a third or half of the sheet and carefully and quickly flip the egg over. Cook for 4 to 5 seconds more.

Remove from pan and lay on a dry cutting board to cool. Regrease pan and use remaining egg mixture for 2 more thin, flat sheets. Cool.

Do not stack egg sheets while hot or they will stick together. Use whole sheets as wrappers for other ingredients. For "golden string" garnish, slice stack of sheets crosswise into very thin strings. If you wish strings to be shorter, cut sheet in half before slicing.