Serve 4-6



This is a pretty modern variation of chirashi-zushi decorated with ‘petals’made of radish and egg – ideal for the Girls’ Day Festival, which falls on 3rd March in Japan, or any spring gathering.

INGREDIENTS:
1 quantity vinegared rice

Radish petals:
4-5 radishes, trimmed
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar

Egg petals:
1 egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon cornflour mixed with a little water
Sunflower oil, for frying

Your choice of:
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
5 tablespoons sugar
2 ½ tablespoons mirin (rice wine)
1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
50 ml chicken stock
½ carrot, sliced into 2-3 cm matcsticks
25 g mangetut (snow peas), trimmed
75 g cod fillet
1 tablespoon sake
Red vegetable food coloring (optional)
3 tablespoons white sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan
200 g small prawns, peeled and lightly cooked
Salt

Flower cutter or a small sharp knife

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Make the vinegared rice (sumeshi).
2. Cut a wedge out of each radish, then slice each radish crossways to form 5-6 petal shapes. Put the rice vinegar and sugar in a bowl and stir well until sugar has dissolved. Add the radish slices and marinate for a few hours or overnight. The red color dissolves into the vinegar, making the slices cherry pink.
3. Mix the egg in a bowl with a pinch of salt and the blended cornflour. Heat a small frying pan, brush with sunflower oil, add the egg mixture and cook until set. Using moulds or a small knife, cut out small shapes from the egg pancake such as hearts or petals.
4. Soak the shiitake in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain, retaining the soaking liquid. Discard the stems and thinly sliced the caps crossways. Put the shiitake slice, 100 ml from the soaking liquid and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, then simmer until the liquid disappears.
5. Put the chicken stock in a saucepan, add ½ teaspoon of the sugar, a pinch of salt, and the carrot. Bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until just soft. Let cool in the juice.
6. Blanch the mangetout in lightly salted water. Slice diagonally into diamonds.
7. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the cod, simmer for 3-4 minutes, then drain. Carefully remove the skin and all the bones. Return to a dry saucepan, add 1 tablespoon sake, the remaining sugar and a pinch of a salt. Finely flake over a low heat, using a fork. If using red coloring, dilute it in a little water, then quickly stir to make a light pink soboro (fish flakes).
8. While the rice is still warm, fold in the shiitake, carrot matchsticks, flaked fish, prawns and sesame seeds. Top with the radish and egg ‘petals’and serve.