SU MESHI - SUSHI RICE

MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS

For the Sushi Vinegar

• One 2-inch square piece of kombu (dried kelp)
• 1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup kosher salt

For the Rice

• 3 cups short-grain white rice (“sushi rice”)

MAKE THE SUSHI VINEGAR
Briefly and gently wipe the kombu with a damp towel to remove any dirt or grit, but do not scrub off the white stuff, which is full of umami.
Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and kombu in a small pot and set it over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, just until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Do not let it boil. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Measure ½ cup of the vinegar mixture and set it aside. Store the rest, including the kombu, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to several months.

COOK THE RICE
Put the rice in a large mixing bowl and add enough water to cover the rice by 1 inch. Use your hands to stir and agitate the rice to release the starch from the exterior of the grains. Empty the water, fill the bowl again, and repeat the process until the fresh water no longer becomes cloudy when you stir the rice. Drain the rice in a mesh strainer, shaking well to help drain excess water. Let the rice sit in the strainer, stirring once or twice, until it’s more or less dry to the touch, 15 to 30 minutes.
Combine the rice and 3 cups of fresh water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
While the rice is hot, gently scoop it into a bowl. Sprinkle the reserved ½ cup of sushi vinegar over the rice. Gently fold the rice to make sure the vinegar is well distributed without smashing the grains. Cover with a clean kitchen towel pressed to the surface of the rice and let the rice cool to just slightly above room temperature before using for temaki (hand rolls).

JAPANESE-STYLE FRIED RICE

There is no better use for leftover rice than chahan. A brief trip in a pan resurrects the grains and a few pantry ingredients—little more than eggs, oil, and salt—transform tired rice into a super-satisfying meal. To give the humble dish a little flair, I whip up a saucy broth filled with vegetables and shrimp and pour it on at the last minute. Of course, you can add any ingredients you like—peas or asparagus, kimchi or Japanese pickles, pork, or even, as I do at Morimoto Napa, duck confit.

SERVES 4

• ¼ cup diced (¼-inch cubes) carrot
• 12 medium shrimp (about 6 ounces), peeled and deveined, cut crosswise into thirds
• ¼ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• ¼ cup fresh or frozen shelled edamame
• ¼ cup diced (¼-inch pieces) fresh shiitake mushrooms or rehydrated dried shiitakes
• 2¼ cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• White or black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 packed cups cooked short-grain white rice , preferably 1 or 2 days old
• 1 generous tablespoon thinly sliced scallion greens

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the carrot and cook 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they’re just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain and then return them to the pot. Add the corn, edamame, shiitakes, chicken stock, soy sauce, sake, sugar, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. In a small container, stir together the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water until smooth. Gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the pot, stirring constantly. Let the stock mixture come to a boil again and cook just until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the sesame oil and pepper to taste; keep warm, covered.

DASHI-SIMMERED RICE WITH VEGETABLES

This is one of the most elegant rice dishes I know: the flavors are mild but perfectly balanced, so nothing super sweet or salty or bold comes through, but the overall effect is incredibly rich and satisfying. The secret is to first simmer the vegetables in a blend of delicious liquids (dashi, mirin, sake) and then cook the rice in that magic broth.
In the old days, this dish was made in an okama, a pot with a wooden lid that was set over hot charcoal, and it browned at the bottom as the sugar in the mirin gently caramelized. For you and me, any pot will do. You can even use a rice cooker! In fact, high-end rice cookers even have a “ takikomi gohan” button. My recipe calls for classic ingredients, but feel free to use parsnips instead of burdock root, sliced fresh or rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms instead of the konnyaku, and extra chicken instead of fried tofu skins.

• SERVES 4
• 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• ¼ pound boneless chicken thigh, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
• ½ cup sliced (1½ by ½ by ⅛ inch) peeled carrot
• ½ cup sliced (1½ by ½ by ⅛ inch) store-bought abura-age (fried tofu skins)
• ¼ cup peeled sliced (1½ by ½ by ⅛ inch) burdock root (gobo ) or parsnip
• ⅓ cup sliced (1 by ½ by ⅛ inch) gray konnyaku (Japanese “yam cake”)
• 2¼ cups Dashi (dried fish and kelp stock) or Kombu Dashi (kelp stock)
• 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups short-grain white rice (“sushi rice”), washed well and drained

Pour the oils in a small pot, add the chicken, set the pot over medium heat, and wait for the chicken to sizzle. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside, about 2 minutes.
Add the carrot, abura-age, burdock, and konnyaku and stir well, then add the dashi, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and salt. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring the liquid to a strong simmer, and cook until the carrots are tender with a slight bite, 5 to 8 minutes. Use a spoon to skim off any white scum from the surface. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a large heatproof measuring cup, reserving the solids. If necessary, pour off any excess liquid or add enough water or extra dashi to give you 2 cups of liquid.
Combine the liquid and rice in a rice cooker or a medium pot and stir briefly. If you’re using a rice cooker, use the white rice setting if there is one and press the “cook” button. If you’re using a pot, cover it, set it over medium-high heat, and bring the liquid to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to very low to maintain a bare simmer and cook, doing your best not to peek under the lid, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender, about 15 minutes. If you are using a rice cooker, wait until the rice has finished cooking completely and the timer goes off.
Add the reserved chicken mixture (but don’t stir just yet) and cover with the lid again. Remove from the heat and let the pot or rice cooker sit until the chicken mixture is hot and the rice is completely tender, at least 10 or up to 20 minutes. Stir gently but well, then serve right away.

OMELET WITH KETCHUP-FRIED RICE

OMELET WITH KETCHUP-FRIED RICE

SERVES 4

• For the Ketchup-Fried Rice
• ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh, cut into ½-inch pieces
• ¾ cup sliced (¼ inch) green beans
• ½ cup diced (¼ inch) carrot
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup very thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps
• ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 6 cups cooked short-grain white rice
• ¾ cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Black pepper to taste
• For the Omuraisu
• 8 large eggs
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 equal pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

MAKE THE KETCHUP-FRIED RICE
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken, cook for 1 minute, then add the green beans and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through and the vegetables are still crunchy, about 1 minute more. Drain well.
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken, green beans, carrot, mushrooms, corn, and onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring often and breaking up the clumps but making sure not to smash the grains, until the rice is heated through, about 5 minutes.
Add the ketchup, salt, and pepper and cook, folding and stirring, until the rice is an even color, about 2 minutes. Transfer the rice to a bowl, cover, and keep warm.
MAKE THE OMURAISU
Make one omelet at a time. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, add a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and lightly beat the eggs.
Combine ½ tablespoon of the butter with ½ tablespoon of the oil in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet, set it over medium-high heat, and let the butter melt and froth, swirling the skillet. Add the beaten eggs and cook, gently pushing the edges in an inch or two as they set and swirling the pan to allow the still-raw egg to hit the pan, until the entire omelet is set but still glossy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add a quarter of the rice to a plate, slide the omelet on top, and use a kitchen towel to tuck the edges of the eggs under the rice to make an omelet shape. Repeat with the remaining eggs and rice.

STEAK RICE BOWLS WITH SPICY TERIYAKI SAUCE

SERVES 4 Aprx Time: 60 min 

• 1 pound skirt steak, outside fat trimmed, patted dry
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon tobanjan (chile bean sauce), preferably a Japanese brand
• 1 teaspoon finely grated garlic
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 6 cups cooked short-grain white rice , warm ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (green parts only)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Prepare a grill to cook over medium-high heat or preheat a large heavy skillet over high heat. Cut the steak crosswise into a few pieces if necessary to fit in the skillet. Season both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil.
Cook, flipping once, until both sides are deep brown and the steak is cooked how you like it, about 8 minutes for medium rare. Let the meat rest while you make the sauce.
Combine the teriyaki sauce, butter, tobanjan, and garlic in a small saucepan, set it over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and stir until smooth. When the teriyaki mixture comes to a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the sauce turns shiny and thickens slightly, 3 minutes.
Divide the rice among shallow bowls and spoon about 3 tablespoons of sauce over each one. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Top each bowl with the steak slices, spoon on the remaining sauce, and sprinkle on the scallions and sesame seeds. Serve right away.

GRILLED RICE BALLS

MAKES ABOUT 8

Special Equipment

• A gas or charcoal grill (grates lightly rubbed with vegetable oil), or a flameproof rack
• A food-safe brush
• 4 cups freshly made short-grain white rice
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup Japanese soy sauce
• ¼ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)

Let the rice cool slightly, so you can handle it without burning your fingers. Form the onigiri as instructed on making sure to pack the triangles especially firmly. Do not wrap with nori. Let them cool completely. You can wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for up to a day.
When you’re ready to eat, prepare the grill to cook over medium-high heat. (If you’re using the flameproof rack, set it on a burner and turn the heat to medium.)
Stir together the soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl. Put the rice triangles on their sides directly on the grill or rack. Cook until the undersides are dry and slightly crispy with spots of brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip them, brush the tops and sides with the soy sauce mixture, and cook, flipping and brushing every few minutes, until both sides have formed a crunchy crust and are golden brown with dark brown spots, about 8 minutes more. Serve right away.