KitchenNippon

<Ingredients> (Yield 11 servings)
white rice, cook with 1 piece of kelp…..3 cups
aburaage (makes 24pieces)……………..12
water……………………………………….350cc
 sake…………………………………………160cc
mirin ……………………………………….120cc
koikuchi Soy sauce……………………..100g
roasted white sesame seeds…………..1tsp
salt………………………………………………..7g
sugar……………………………………………18g
vinegar………………………………………..75cc

<Toppings>

Nanohana vegetable…………………………………………….1
small size shrimps, boiled with a pinch of salt……….25
Carrots …………………………………………………………..1 1/2
Bonito flake powder……………………………………….1/2tsp
sake………………………………………………………………1tbsp
salt……………………………………………………………….½ tsp
Shiitake mushrooms……………………………………………3
sake………………………………………………………………1tbsp
soy sauce………………………………………………………..1tbsp
egg……………………………………………………………………2

<How to prepare Toppings>
1. Slice a disk of carrot 5mm in length, cut carrots using a vegetable cutter. Place bonito flake powder, salt and sake in a small pan and bring to a boil. Add carrots and simmer for 10minutes.

2. Boil Nanohana vegetables for 3-4minutes, transfer into the cold water and drain well. Cut into 2cm length.

3. Cut Shiitake mushrooms into strips about 5mm. In a small pan, add Soy sauce, Mirin, Sake and bring to a boil. Simmer shiitake mushrooms over low heat until they are nicely flavored.

<How to make Usuyaki tamago – thinly sliced egg>

In a bowl, beat the egg well with a whisk or chopsticks.
Lightly oil the pan (preferably non-stick pan), set it to low heat. Pour a thin layer of egg in the pan, tilt it from side to side to evenly spread the egg. When the edges are dry, flip the omelet over and cook for about 10 seconds. Remove the omelet and oil the pan before making next crepe. Repeat until all the egg has been used.
Stack the egg crepes on top of each other, fold the crepes in half and cut down the dry edges. Cut the crepes into thin strips.

<How to make>

1. Roll the Aburaage with a chopstick a couple of times. Cut in halves and carefully open each Aburaage to make a pouch. To remove excess oil, boil Aburaage in hot water for about 10 seconds and transfer into cold water, squeeze with your hand and drain well.
2. Place water, soy sauce, sake and Mirin in a pot and bring to a boil. Add Aburaage and simmer until the liquid has evaporated down to about the half of original amount. This will take about 10minutes. Remove from the heat and cool down.

3. Prepare Sushi vinegar by mixing ingredients, stir well until sugar dissolves. Spread the hot cooked rice into a sushi oke wooden bowl. Sprinkle the rice vinegar over the rice using a rice paddle. Gently flip and cut the rice with a rice paddle in order not to mush grains. At the same time, fan the rice to cool it off. The rice is done when each grain is shiny. Sprinkle sesame seeds and mix in evenly.

4. Before stuff rice in pouches, fold the top inside about 1/3 length for garnishing.

5. Wet you hands with left over simmering sauce from seasoned Aburaage, make small oblong balls and gently stuff the rice ball into each pouch. Garnish pouches with toppings.

Recipe Developed by : Miyuki Iwasawa