Chirashi Sushi Zushi Recipes

SCATTERED SUSHI (CHIRASHIZUSHI)

Steps:

• Remove heads and veins from the prawns.
• Hold prawn horizontally with the tail on the left (for right hander) and the belly facing down.
• Starting from the head end, put through a toothpick along the back between the shell and the flesh.
• When the toothpick reaches half way, point the tip of the toothpick downwards and push it further towards the tail so that the toothpick cuts through the flesh. This will prevent the prawn from curling when cooked.
• Repeat for the remaining prawns.
• Bring a small saucepan with water and a tablespoon of vinegar to a boil. Add the prawns and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Drain, remove the toothpicks, let them cool and remove shells.
• Butterfly the prawns by cutting the belly side from the head end to the tail, leaving the dorsal side of the flesh and skin intact.
• Cut the butterflied prawns, perpendicular to the butterfly cut, into 3 similar size pieces (note 8).
• Cut the grilled eel perpendicular to the backbone, to 2cm/¾" wide pieces.
• Cut each piece in half crosswise to make each piece almost square.
• Break the stem end of snow pea gently and pull the tip towards the other end. The tough string that runs along the side comes off.
• Pinch the other end, trim and pull the other side of the tough string (if you can) towards the stem end.
• Place the snow peas in a microwave safe bowl with a small amount of water, sprinkle tiny amount of salt and cover with cling wrap. Cook for 1 minute.
• Rinse under cold water to quickly cool them down. Pat dry with a paper towel.
• Cut each snow pea pod diagonally into two pieces. If the pod is very large, cut it into three pieces diagonally so that you will have two ends and one diamond-shape piece.,
• Spread the sushi rice thinly in a large shallow plate.
• Scatter simmered shiitake mushrooms over the rice.
• Scatter kinshi tamago over so that the rice and mushrooms are mostly covered.
• Scatter the lotus root pieces over the kinshi tamago.
• Place the prawn pieces with the red side up, randomly but evenly spaced.
• Place the eel pieces with the skin side down, randomly but evenly spaced.
• Make small balls with diced salmon and place them where the large patch of yellow is.
• Place snow peas randomly but evenly spaced.

CHIRASHIZUSHI

Steps:

• For the sushi rice: Rinse the rice under cold water until the water is completely clear. Place the rice and 3 cups water in a large saucepan and let it soak for 30 minutes.
• Bring the water and rice to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Keep covered and remove from the heat; let sit for 10 minutes. (This process will yield about 6 cups cooked rice.)
• Whisk together the vinegar, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl until the sugar and salt dissolve. Place the rice in a large bowl and evenly sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the top. While fanning the rice (see Cook's Note), use a rice paddle or wooden spoon to quickly cut in and then gently fold the ingredients together until thoroughly combined and no more steam comes off the rice, about 10 minutes. Cover the rice with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out and set aside until just above room temperature, about 10 minutes more.
• For the toppings: When the rice is ready, divide it among 4 bowls or shallow vessels. (Alterna-tively, you can assemble the chirashi on 1 large platter.) Top with the fish, roe, cucumber, radish sprouts and seaweed, either in groups or scattered, leaving a small space for the shiso (if using), ginger and wasabi.
• For serving: Tuck a lemon slice if using along the side of each bowl. Lay a shiso leaf if using on the rice. Place some ginger and a dab of wasabi on each leaf. Serve with soy sauce in 4 very small dishes. You can mix the wasabi into the soy sauce and dip the sliced fish into it as you eat. You can also drizzle the soy-wasabi mixture over the chirashi, although that can make the rice wet and difficult to scoop up.

JAPANESE CHIRASHIZUSHI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• ​ Put rice in a large bowl and rinse with cold water. Repeat rinsing until the runs clear. Drain rice in a colander and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Place rice in a rice cooker and add about 2 1/3 cups of water. Let the rice soak in the water for at least 30 minutes. Start cooker.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small saucepan, mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Put pan on low heat and heat until sugar dissolves. Cool vinegar mixture.
• Spread hot steamed rice onto a large plate or a large bowl. Sprinkle vinegar mixture over the rice and quickly mix into the rice using a shamoji (rice spatula).
• Gather the ingredients.
• Remove stems from shiitake and slice thinly. Heat 2/3 cup of reserved water used for rehydrating shiitake in a medium pan.
• Add shiitake, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and mirin. Simmer shiitake on low heat until liquid is almost gone. Set aside.
• Make omelets by beating eggs in a bowl with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Oil a medium skillet , our a scoop of egg mixture, and make a thin omelet like a crepe. Continue until mixture is gone.
• Cut omelet into thin strips.
• Serve sushi rice on a large plate or individual bowls. Spread simmered shiitake, cucumber, imitation crabmeat, and omelet strips over rice. Marinate the tuna in soy sauce and a little optional wasabi, and place tuna sashimi on top. Garnish with sesame seeds.

SUMMER CHIRASHI ZUSHI

Steps:

• For the rice: Place the dry rice in a medium bowl and fill the bowl about halfway with cool water. Stir gently with your hand for about 30 seconds, then drain the water completely. Repeat, filling the bowl halfway up again with cool water, gently stirring the rice with your hand for about 30 seconds. Drain again.
• Combine the measured filtered water and rinsed rice in the bowl of your rice cooker or in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let the rice soak in the water at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. You will not change out the water before cooking, this pre-measured water is what the rice will soak in and then cook in.
• After soaking, keep the rice in its soaking water. If using a rice cooker, follow the manufacturer's instructions for cooking medium-grain white rice. If cooking on the stovetop, put the pot on the stovetop, uncovered, and bring to a boil over medium heat. This will take about 7 minutes.
• Cover the pot, lower the heat to the lowest possible setting, and cook without lifting the lid (don't peek) for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the heat and, without opening the lid, let the rice rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid, wet a rice paddle or wooden spoon and gently fluff the rice. Replace the lid and allow the rice to rest for another 5 minutes.
• For the chirashi: Prepare the green beans and broccolini by bringing a small saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Slice off the broccolini tops, creating small florets, and set aside. Add the green beans, broccolini stalks and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the water with a slotted spoon and allow to cool. Cut the green beans on the diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut the broccolini stalks into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
• Thinly slice the cucumbers on a mandoline or with a knife into rounds about 1/8 inch thick.
• Bring the water back to a boil and add the broccolini florets. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from the water and cool. Set aside.
• Heat a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Make egg ribbons by whisking together the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Strain the eggs through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Spread the oil evenly over the pan with a paper towel and increase the heat to medium. Add a quarter of the beaten egg mixture and spread it over the pan to make a thin crêpe. Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, turn off the heat and cook for about 10 seconds. The residual heat and the lid will work together to cook the egg. After 10 seconds, remove the lid and you should find a perfectly set egg.
• Transfer the crêpe to a cutting board to cool. Repeat with more oil as needed and the eggs to make 4 crêpes. When cooled, cut each in half and stack them. Slice the stack into ribbons about 1/8-inch-by-2-inches. Set aside. If using nori, slice it into strips that are 2 inches long and thinner than the egg ribbons; store in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them crispy.
• Make the dressing for the rice by whisking together the vinegar, sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the freshly cooked hot rice into a large bowl or handai (wooden sushi rice container; if using a handai, be sure to wet it first and give it a light wipe with a clean kitchen towel to prevent the rice grains from sticking to it). Add the vinegar dressing. Toss to combine, moving the rice paddle diagonally to avoid mashing the grains. Add the ginger, finely chopped shiso leaves and sesame seeds to the rice. Mix gently. Transfer the rice to a large platter or leave it in the handai.
• Garnish the rice with the egg ribbons, green bean slices, cucumbers and broccolini florets and stems. Place the whole green shiso leaves on top. Divide the ikura between the shiso leaves. Sprinkle with the nori strips if using and sesame seeds. Serve immediately (see Cook's Note).

CHIRASHI SUSHI (ZUSHI)

Steps:

• To Complete the Zushi Bowl: Place a cup of rice, cooled to just above room temperature, in the bottom of each of 6 bowls. Add a layer of the avocado slices, distributing evenly in any pattern you choose. Sprinkle a pinch or two of salt over each bowl. Add the raw matchstick vegetables in an even, randomly arranged layer, and sprinkle on the nori confetti. Add the fish on top, arranging as you wish, perhaps in twists or rolls. Scatter scallions and sesame seeds on top. Serve with condiments like soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger and rice vinegar, so diners can season and toss sushi with chopsticks or spoons.
• To Make Sushi Rice: In a fine strainer, rinse the rice with cold running water, until water runs clear. Pour rice into pot with 2 cups cold water; let sit 30 minutes.
• Bring rice to a boil over medium-high heat; immediately turn heat to low and cover. Cook 10 minutes, remove from heat and let sit, covered, 15 minutes. In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar and salt in the rice vinegar over a low flame. Pour evenly over rice and fold gently with a wooden spoon to mix. Leave rice in front of a fan, or fan with a piece of cardboard for 15 minutes or until rice is just above room temperature. Makes 6 cups.