Fish and Seafood Recipes - Chirashizushi (Japanese Fish with Rice)

Ingredients                 

• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms

• 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup warm water

• 450 g/1lb/2 cups short-grain rice

• 600 ml/2 1/2 cups cold water

• 45 ml/3 tbsp white wine or rice vinegar .

• 60 ml/3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp salt

• 30 ml/2 tbsp soy sauce

• 50 g/2 oz canned bamboo shoots, chopped

• 1 small carrot, finely chopped

• 90 ml/6 tbsp dashi or ordinary fish stock

• 25 g/1/4 cup frozen peas

• 5 ml/1 tsp groundnut (peanut) oil

• 1 size 1 egg, beaten

• 75 g/3 oz/3/4 cup peeled prawns (shrimp)        

• 1/2 sheet nori (dried seaweed) or 50 g/2 oz spring greens (spring cabbage),  shredded and deep-fried until crisp

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Method:

1. Soak the mushrooms in the warm water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the rice in several changes of cold water. Drain and place in a saucepan with the measured cold water.

2. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat and cook gently for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes.

3. Mix the vinegar, half the sugar and the salt together. When the rice is cooked add this mixture and fluff up with a fork.

4. Cut off the stems from the mushrooms and discard, slice the caps and place with half the soaking water in a saucepan.

5. Bring to the boil, add the remaining sugar and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in half the soy sauce. Simmer until nearly all the liquid has evaporated and the mushroomsare tender. Add to the rice.

6. In a separate pan, simmer the bamboo shoots and carrots in the remaining mushroom soaking water with the fish stock and remaining soy sauce for 15 minutes.

7. Add the peas for the last 5 minutes. Drain off any excess stock. Add the vegetables to the rice. Brush a frying pan (skillet) with the oil. Add the egg, sprinkle with salt and cook gently until set but not brown.

8. Slide out of the pan and cut into fine shreds. Toss the vegetables into the rice. Pile on to a serving plate. Top with the shredded egg and the prawns and finally the shredded nori or fried greens. Serve warm.