Hijiki Chirashi Sushi

DIFFICULTY
Average Average
SERVES
4-6 4-6
Hijiki Chirashi Sushi
Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

  • Japanese cups = 180ml
For the rice
  • 340g Japanese rice (2 x Japanese cups)
  • 360ml Water (2 x Japanese cups)
  • 50ml sushi vinegar (40ml rice vinegar + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon salt, mix until all is dissolved)
For the Braised Hijiki Mixture
  • 4 dried shitake mushrooms
  • 100ml shiitake mushroom dashi (stock), this is the 4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in 100ml water
  • 15g dried Hijiki
  • 1 medium sized carrot
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
To garnish
  • One handful of cooked and sliced mangetout or edamame beans

  • Method

  • 1
    To prepare the rice, wash the rice thoroughly in a sieve for a few minutes. Constantly turn the rice over until the water turns clear. Drain the rice and transfer to the Cocotte Every with 2 cups of water. Allow it to stand for 30 minutes in cold water.
  • 2
    Place over a medium on the hob and bring to the boil for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat and cover, let it simmer for 8-9 minutes. Turn off the heat and then let it stand to cool for a further 5-10 minutes.
  • 3
    Put the rice into a wide flat dish such as a ‘sushi oke’, or a baking dish. Pour the sushi-su over the rice and fold it carefully into the rice with a wooden spoon as it cools down, being careful not to damage the grains. You can use a fan or a hairdryer on the coolest setting to speed up the cooling process, directing it at the rice. The sushi-su gives the rice more flavour and that familiar sticky glazed look.
  • 4
    To cook the mange tout for the garnish, bring water with 1 teaspoon of salt to the boil in a pan. Add the mangetout and cook for a few minutes. Do not overcook! Then drain and plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Drain well and slice thinly. Use for the garnish. You can also use boiled edamame beans from frozen.
  • 5
    To make the shiitake mushroom stock, soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water for a few hours or overnight. If you are in the rush you can pour over boiling water instead and infuse for 15 minutes like making tea. Squeeze out the mushrooms into the water they soaked in. Put the mushrooms to one side.
  • 6
    To cook the hijiki seaweed, put the dried hijiki into cold water for about 15-20 minutes, then rinse and drain well. Slice the peeled carrots very thinly about 2 x 15mm.
  • 7
    Sauté the hijiki, shiitake mushrooms from the stock, and carrots in oil in a pan for a few minutes. Add the stock (dashi), sake, brown sugar, mirin, soy sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until cooked.
  • 8
    Combine with the rice and hijiki mixture. Serve on a flat plate and put the mangetout on top as a garnish.
  • 9
    Yuki's Tips:
  • 10
    If you don’t want to use the rice immediately, cover it with cling film or a damp cloth so that it doesn’t dry out. Leave in a cool place, but do not refrigerate. The fridge will make the rice texture hard and dry, and the sushi-su helps to preserve the rice without refrigeration. It will keep for a day.
  • 11
    Try using the sushi rice for different types of sushi: sushi rolls and hand rolls.
  • 12
    For the garnish, you can use any seasonal green vegetable such as: asparagus, stem-broccoli and broad beans.