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.

RICE BALLS

MAKES ABOUT 8

• 4 cups freshly made short-grain white rice
• Kosher salt
• ¾ cup leftover Sake Shioyaki (salt-grilled salmon), Hijiki (sweet simmered hijiki seaweed), or Tori No Teriyaki (chicken teriyaki), chopped if necessary, at room temperature
• 4 nori seaweed sheets (about 8½ by 7½ inches), halved lengthwise

Let the rice cool slightly, so you can handle it without burning your fingers.
Pour some salt in a small bowl. To make each ball, wet your hands slightly with water, dip two fingertips in the salt, and briefly rub your hands together to distribute the salt. Grab a ½-cup clump of rice and spread it slightly in your palm to form a ¾-inch layer.
Make a slight indentation in the center and add about a generous tablespoon of the filling, pressing lightly to flatten it if necessary. Fold the rice around the filling to enclose it completely, using a little more rice if necessary. Use both hands to shape the rice into a rough ball, then firmly pack it to form a rough triangle that has about 3-inch sides and is about 1 inch thick.
Repeat with the remaining rice and filling.
Just before you eat the rice triangles, wrap them in the nori. Serve right away, while the nori is still slightly crisp.

FURIKAKE WITH SHRIMP SHELLS AND POTATO CHIPS

• 2 cups fresh or frozen shrimp shells (from about 1¼ pounds shrimp)
• ¾ cup loosely packed bonito flakes (katsuobushi )
• ½ cup coarsely crumbled salted potato chips
• 1 sheet nori, broken into several pieces
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 250˚F. Spread the shrimp shells in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until completely dry and crumbly, about 45 minutes. Cool completely.
One ingredient by one, grind the shrimp shells, bonito flakes, potato chips, and nori in a small food processor or large spice grinder until you have a mixture of pieces that are about the size of coarse sea salt (a little bigger or smaller is fine). Nori is harder to process, so don’t worry if the pieces are a bit bigger than the rest. Combine them all in a small container with the sesame seeds and salt. Stir well and season with salt to taste.
You can keep the furikake in an airtight container in a cool dark place (not the refrigerator) for up to 10 days.