AZURI BEAN RICE

Serve: 4 to 6
Preparation time: 45 minutes + overnight soaking
Cooking time: 35-50 minutes



INGREDIENTS:
140 g azuki beans, washed and drained
750 g uncooked glutinous rice, washed and drained
sesame salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Place the red beans in a saucepan and cover with water. bring to a boil and drain, cover with fresh cold water, and bring to a boil again.
2. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until beans are tender, about 40 minutes, adding more water as needed to keep beans covered.
3. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Pour the reserved liquid from the beans onto the uncooked rice grain and let stand, covered, overnight to allow the rice to take on pinkish color.
4. Drain the rice and reserve the liquid. Combine the beans and rice, taking care not to crush the beans. bring water to a boil in the base of a steamer. Line the steamer with cheesecloth and spread the rice and beans mixture over top. Poke a few holes in the rice for the steam to escape.
5. Steam over high heat until the rice is cooked, about 50 minutes, basting frequently with the reserved red bean liquid.
6. Serve in individual heated serving bowls and sprinkle sesame salt over the top. This dish can also be served at room temperature.

CHIKEN ROLLS WITH SPRING ONIONS

Serve: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes



INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken tighs
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
180 ml sake
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 spring onions
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp oil
kitchen string

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Debone chikens thighs and place on a work surface, skin side down.Score the flesh with a sharp knife. Press on the meat to spread it out, creating an even thickness.
2. Combine ginger, 2 tbsp sake and soy sauce in a large bowl. Coat the chicken,and set aside to marinate for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. Drain chicken and place skin side down on working surface.Cut spring onions to the same length as the chicken and place 3 or 4 pieces across each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with an even coating of constarch.
4. Roll each piece of chicken up and fasten with kitchen string, securing at both ends.
5. Heat oil in 25-cm skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken rolls, seam side down, and cook, turning chicken frequently with tongs, until evenly browned.
6. Drain fat from skillet, leaving chicken in place, and add sake. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 7 minutes.
7. Add reserved marinade and cook chicken roll for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender.
8. To serve, remove string from meat and slice cross-ways in 2-cm thick slices and spoon pan juices over the slices.

SHIBA-ZUKE PICKLES

Yields : 1 cup
Preparation time : 15 minutes



INGREDIENTS :
1 Japanese cucumber (about 90 g)
1 small eggplant (about 90 g)
2 tsp salt
1 mioga or torch ginger bud
1/2 tsp Japanese soy sauce

HOW TO MAKE :
1. Rub 1/2 teaspoon of the salt onto the cucumber skin. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and cut into wedges. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, mix and set aside.
3. Halve the eggplant lengthwise and cut into wedges. Sprinkle with `1/2 tsp salt, mix and set aside. 4. Thinly slice the mioga bud diagonally, mix with 1/2 tsp salt and set aside.
5. Place the salted vegetables and soy sauce in a bowl, mix well and cover with a lid and a weight to press. Set aside for half a day. The pickles can be kept refrigerated for 3 days.

GARLIC PICKLED IN MISO - NINNIKU MISO-ZUKE

Yields : 3/4 cup
Preparation time : 15 minutes



INGREDIENTS :
3 bulbs of garlic, cloved peeled and left whole
1 tsp salt
5 tbsp inaka miso
4 tbsp sugar

HOW TO MAKE :
1. Sprinkle the garlic with the salt and set aside for 3 hours.
2. Pat dry with paper towels.
3. Mix the miso and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add the garlic cloves and set aside to marinate for 4 days before serving.

DAIKON PICKLED IN MISO - KABU NO MISOZUKE

Yields : 1 cup
Preparation time : 15 minutes




INGREDIENTS:
400 g daikon radish (about 15 cm), washed, peeled,halved lengthwise
1 tsp salt
100 g inaka miso
2 tbsp sake
4 tsp sugar

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Sprinkle the daikon with the salt and set aside for 2-3 hours.
2. Squeeze gently in a muslin cloth to remove moisture.
3. Mix the miso, sake and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
4. Coat the daikon with the miso mixture and set aside to marinate for 3 hours.
5. Remove the daikon from the marinate and slice into thick wedges.

PICKLED CABBAGE , CARROT AND CUCUMBER

Yields : 2 cups
Preparation time : 20 minutes

pickled cabbage, carrot and cucumber

INGREDIENTS:
1 small Japanese cucumber
1 small carrot, washed and peeled
2 cabbage leaves, washed and drained, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tsp salt
Sesame seeds, roasted, to garnish (optional)

HOW TO MAKE :
1. Rub 1/2 tsp of the salt onto the cucumber skin. RInse and pat dry.
2. Then, halve the cucumber lengthwise and slice into matchstick, slice the carrots the same way.
3. Add the remaining salt to all the ingredients and mix gently.
4. Tranfer to a covered container and leave overnight. Garnish with the sesame seeds before serving.

PICKLED GINGER - GARI

pickled ginger

Yields : 1 cup
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
250 g young ginger, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
85 ml rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
5 tbsp sugar

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Rinse the ginger slices thoroughly and blanch in boiling water and set aside to drain.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool.
3. Place the ginger in a sterilized jar and pour the vinegar mixture over it.
4. Cover and keep for 3-4 days before using. The ginger keeps well refrigerated for 1 month - it may develop a pale pink color as it ages.
5. Serve with sushi and other Japanesedishes.

PICKLED EGGPLANT - NASU NO SHIOMOMI

Yields : 1 cup
Preparation time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
250 g Japanese eggplants, washed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 cm slices
2 tsp salt
sesame seed, roasted and crushed to garnish (optional)

HOW TO MAKE :

1. Sprinkle the eggplants with the salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze gently in a muslin cloth to remove moisture.
3. Serve garnished with the sesame seeds.

SWEET SOY BEEF AND VEGETABLE HOTPOT – SUKIYAKI

Serve 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

In cold weather or rainy days, it is really good idea having a hotpot spicy soup like sukiyaki. Even the ingredients below already have assorted vegies and beef, you could always add anything you preffer to give the ultimate taste for this famous japanese soup.

INGREDIENTS:
10 dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems remove and discarded
500 g beef tenderloin, thinly sliced
250 g glass noodles (shirataki)
250 g firm tofu, cut into cubes
2 small leeks, rinsed and sliced diagonally
120 g spinach, wash and coarsely cut in sections
4 large eggs (optional)
2 tbsp oil

SAUCE:
180 ml (3/4 cup) soy sauce
60 ml (1/4 cup) sake
60 ml (1/4 cup) mirin
125 ml (1/2 cup) water

HOW TO MAKE:
1. If using dried mushrooms, soak in hot water for about 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out any excess water before use.
2. Arrange prepared ingredients on a serving platter. Break 1 egg each into 4 small serving bowls.
3. Combine the sauce indgredients in four small batches – mushrooms, beef, glass noodles or shirataki, tofu, and spinach – into a hotpot on a table-top hotplate.
4. Heat the oil into a hotpot on a table-top hotplate. Stir-fry the ingredients in batches, stirring continuously until foods are cooked to desired doneness.
5. Diners can then remove cooked meat or vegetables from the hotpot, using the egg as a dipping sauce for the hot food. If you prefer, use ponzu dipping sauce instead.
6. Replenish the cooking hotpot with remaining ingredients as needed. Ready to serve.

MISO SOUP WITH TOFU AND DRIED SEAWEEDS

Serve 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

To complete a Japanese dish, usually we include miso soupin a plate dish. This time, I will give you a miso soup recipe combining with tofu and dried seaweeds (nori).

INGREDIENTS:
180 g soft tofu, cut into cubes
1 piece dried seaweed (nori), sliced
1 liter basic dashi stock
3 tbsp miso

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Place basic dashi stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute and add the tofu.
2. Place miso in large ladle and dissolve it with some of the hot soup, stirring it with a wooden spoon. Stir the miso into the saucepan, and add the soy sauce and dried seaweeds.Bring the soup to a boil and ladle it into four bowls. Do not overcook. Serve immediately.

GRILLED SKEWERED CHICKEN – YAKITORI

Serve 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

One of the most popular dishes of Japanese food is grilled skewered chicken or yakitori. It is served best on a daily meals at dinner time or it’s so great having it on barbeque party.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp sugar
60 ml mirin
125 ml soy sauce
125 ml sake
500 g chicken fillet
200 g chicken liver (optional)
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
2 bell pepper, cut in 3 cm squares
1 leek, cut into 2 ½ cm pieces
16-20 bamboo skewers , 20 cm long
Seven-spice chili powder
Lemon wedges for garnish

HOW TO MAKE:
1. To prepare sauce, combine sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and sake in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, reducing the sauce to 1 cup.
2. Dice the chicken fillet and liver (optional), then thread onto skewers, alternating with pieces of leek and bell pepper. If bamboo skewers are used, soak in water at least 10 minutes before use.
3. Heat the broiler. Baste the ingredients with the sauce.
4. Broil the skeweres for about 2-3 minutes, turning three or four times and basting each time, until the chicken and livers (optional) are just cooked. Do not overcook.
5. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the skewers with seven-spice chili powder and serve with lemon wedges.

SALMON TERIYAKI

Serve 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes





Japanese way to cook salmon with spicy ingredients is salmon teriyaki. This special spicy sauce makes the salmon fish tastier and fun to make it for bbq party. It is best served either with steam white rice or baked potatoes or even French baguette, which ever you prefer.

INGREDIENTS:
500 g fresh salmon fillet, quartered
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sake
1 tbsp oil
90 g daikon, peeled and grated

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Place salmon fillets in large bakin pan. Combine soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a small bowl and pour over salmon pieces to marinate for 10 minutes. Drain salmon, reserving marinade.
2. Heat the broiler and brush rack lightly with oil. Place fish on rack, skin side up, and brush pieces lightly with marinade. Grill until skin is lightly browned and crispy, about 4 minutes.
3. Turn salmon pieces and brush again lightly with the marinade. Grill until the salmon is just cooked through and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes.
4. Remove fish to serving plates and spoon remaining marinade over the top. Serve immediately with grated daikon and steam white rice.

TIPS:
For equally delicious scallop teriyaki, substitute 500 g trimmed large scallops. For grilled vegetables teriyaki, use assorted vegetables such as asparagus, eggplants, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, or even diced cut pinaples.

TEMPURA

Serve 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

When I have no idea to prepare a dish for my daughter, tempura is always come first. This yummy dish is not only delicious to have for a main dish but also not bad ideas for a snack. Maybe that’s why my daughter and her friends never get bored with all kind assorted tempura and dipping sauce.

INGREDIENTS:
60 g all purpose flour for dredging
1 eggplant, cut diagonally into long, thick slices
120 g pumpkin or sweet potato, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
100 g green beans, trimmed
1 small onion, cut in crescents
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
90 g fresh or frozen green peas
8-10 prawns, peeled and deveined, with tails intact
4 whitebait, about 60 g each, or white fish fillet, sliced
4 scallops, cleaned and sliced in half horizontally
Oil for deep-frying
Tempura dipping sauce

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Put flour for dredging in mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Heat oil In a wok or deep-fryer to 160 Celcius.
3. To prepare first batch batter, beat 1 egg yolk with 1 cup ice water in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add 1 cup flour all at once, and stir briefly with chopsticks or a fork until just combined. The batter may be lumpy but should be quite thin. Do not overmix.
4. Dredge the eggplant, pumpkin, green beans and onion pieces in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip a slice of vegetable into the batter and gently shake off any excess.
5. Carefully slip vegetables, 5 to 6 at a time, into the hot oil, and cook, turning once, until crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
6. To cook mushrooms, spoon batter on the underside of the mushrooms, shaking off any excess. Place mushrooms in oil, batter side down, and fry, turning once, until tender, about 1 minute. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
7. Sprinkle green peas lightly with flour. Scoop about 1 tbsp peas into a slotted spoon and coat the peas in batter. Let excess batter from peas drip from spoon. Carefully place peas into the oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until batter is crisp. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.
8. Heat oil to 180 C. Meanwhile, prepare second batch batter. Dredge the seafood with flour and dip into batter. Cook seafood until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. (Prawns may take 1 minute more, depending the size). Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
9. Pour about 3 tablespoons warm tempura dipping sauce into small bowls and serve with an assorted tempura.


TEMPURA DIPPING SAUCE:
This dipping sauce is made by blending 250 ml basic dashi stock, 4 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin, 3 tbsp shredded daikon, and 3 teaspoons shredded fresh ginger. Stir well to mix.

BASIC DASHI STOCK – BONITO FLAKE STOCK

Makes: 1 liter
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

In most of Japanese soups, usually dashi stock is used as a basic ingredients. Even it’s easy to make, sometimes we are to lazy to do it. In case you do that, you can always find the ready to use dashi stock in Japanese store. This time, I will try to encourage you to make it the fresh basic dashi stock.

INGREDIENTS:
10 cm square piece konbu (kelp), wiped clean
1 liter water
60 ml cold water
90 g bonito flakes

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Cut konbu (kelp) square into 4 narrow strips. Place in a saucepan with 4 cups water and cook over medium heat. Heat until just about to boil, then discard konbu.
2. Add the cold water and bonito flakes to the konbu broth. Bring to a boil then remove immediately from heat, and set aside to cool.
3. When all the bonito flakes have sunk to the bottom, pour the liquid over a strain and discard the flakes.

TUB OF SPRING SUSHI

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.

SEARED TUNA SASHIMI SALAD

Serve 4



You may take some time to get used to the idea of eating completely raw fish, but lightly blanched or seared fillet with salad is a good starting point. You can use other fish such as turbot, salmon or swordfish.

INGREDIENTS:
200 g fresh tuna or swordfish, skinned
Green salad leaves
A small clump of enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated

Wasabi dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 ½ tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Grill the tuna or swordfish at a high heat for about 1 minute on each side until the surface are seared, but the inside is still raw. Plunge into ice water. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Slice into 5 mm thick pieces.
2. Mix the lemon juice, wasabi and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Arrange the salad leaves and enoki mushrooms in the centre of a large serving plate and arrange the seared fish over the leaves. Just before serving, pour the wasabi dressing over the top.

LETTUCE BOATS SUSHI

Makes 12



As an alternative, serve the nigiri in lettuce ‘boats’. They look very pretty and are also easier to pick up and eat – important at a party.

INGREDIENTS:

½ quantity vinegared rice

Hand vinegar:
4 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar
250 ml water

Toppings:
100 g beef fillet, about 7 cm thick
Vegetable oil, for rubbing
1-2 rollmops (marinated Bismarck herring)
8 asparagus tips
2 teaspoons wasabi paste or powder
4 Little Gem lettuce leaves
8 small chicory (witloof) leaves

To serve:
Sprigs of cress or shredded spring onions
A small strip of nori seaweed
1 spring onion, finely chopped
2.5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons white wine
1 ½ tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
Juice of ½ lemon

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Make the vinegared rice (sumeshi). Mix the hand vinegar ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Rub the beef all over with vegetable oil. Grill at a high heat until golden brown on all sides, but rare in the middle. Plunge nto iced water to stop the cooking. Remove from the water, pat dry with kitchen paper and cut 4 thin slices, about 7x4 cm. All the slices should be red inside and brown around the edges.
3. Cut the rollmops into 4 and make a little lengthways slit in the skin of each piece.
4. Cook the asparagus in lightly salted water for 5 minutes until soft. Drain and place under running water to arrest cooking and bring out the color. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
5. If using wasabi powder, mix with 2 teaspoons water in an egg cup, stir to make a claylike consistency, then turn upside down to stop it drying out.
6. Dip your hands in the hand vinegar and take a handful of the cooked rice in one hand (about 1-2 tablespoons). Mould it into a rectangular shape about 5x2x2 cm. Repeat with the remaining rice, making 12 portions. Put a tiny dab of wasabi on top of 4 portions.
7. Arrange a slice of beef on 1 portion of wasabi-and –rice, with the two short sides hanging over the end. Top with a few sprigs of cress. Repeat with the other 3 slices of beef and set them in 4 Little Gem lettuce leaves.
8. Arrange 2 asparagus tips on another rice portion and tie with a nori ribbon. Repeat to make 3 more. Arrange a piece of rollmop on each of the remaining 4 rice portions and insert chopped spring onion and grated ginger into the slits. Arrange all the leaf boats on a serving platter. Mix the white wine, soy sauce and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Serve the lettuce boats with a small bowl of lemon sauce and another of plain soy sauce.

STUFFED SQUID SUSHI - IKA-ZUSHI

Makes 10-12 pieces



Meat is rarely used in sushi but this sweet, dry-cooked minced meat goes well with vinegared rice. It can be eaten as it is, or use it as a stuffing for squid and serve as an unusual party canapé. If you don’t like to use meat, just use the squid flaps and tentacles in the sumeshi mixture, but reduce the cooking juice accordingly.

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium squid, cleaned
3 tablespoons sake
2-3 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon mirin or sweet sherry
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
50 g minced chicken or beef
2 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2/3 quantity vinegared rice (sumeshi)
Pickled ginger, to serve

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Peel the outer skin off the squid. It comes off easily if you hold the two flaps together and peel down the body. Put the 2 main bodies in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon sake, cover with boiling water an simmer for 1-2 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain, rub the surface with a damp cloth to remove any marks, then sprinkle with the rice vinegar all over to retain the whiteness. Chop the flaps and tentacles.
2. Put the remaining sake, the sugar, mirin and soy sauce in a saucepan, mix and bring to the boil over moderate heat. Add the minced chicken of beef, the chopped squid flaps and tentacles and the chopped ginger, then stir vigorously with a fork until the meat turns white. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked meat to another bowl, leaving the juice in the saucepan. Boil the juice over high heat for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Stir the meat back into saucepan to absorb the juice and remove from heat.
3. Make the vinegared rice (sumeshi) and while still warm fold in the dry-cooked meat. Tightly stuff each squid body with half the rice mixture and, using a sharp knife, slice crossways into 5-6 pieces.
4. Arrange on plates and serve with pickled ginger.

TOFU BAGS SUSHI - INARI ZUSHI

Makes 6 tofu bags
a shrine dedicated to agriculture and the fox is regarded as the envoy of the god. People used to offer abura-age (fried bean curd) to the fox; hence this special name. This sushi makes an ideal picnic lunch and children's snack.



INGREDIENTS:
½ quantity vinegared japanese rice
3 fresh Japanese fried bean curd (abura-age)
200 ml chicken stock
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mirin or sweet sherry
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
2 dried shiitake (mushrooms)
5 cm carrot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sake (optional)

To serve:
Pickled ginger
Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)


HOW TO MAKE:
1. Make the vinegared sushi (sumeshi).
2. Put the fried bean curd (abura-age) on a cutting board and roll each one with a rolling pin. This separates the thin layers inside the bean curd, making a bag. Put the bean curd in a mixing bowl, pour over boiling water, then drain – this will reduce the oilness.
3. Cut each piece in half and carefully open each piece from the cut side (if not opened already), to make a bag.
4. Put the chicken stock or water in a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and bring to the boil. Add the bean curd bags, cook 3 minutes on moderate heat, then add 1 tablespoon mirin and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Simmer over a low heat for about 10 minutes until all the liquid disappears. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate.
5. Meanwhile, soak the dried shiitake in a bowl of warm water for at least 30 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid. 6. Cut off the stems and finely chop the caps. Pour 50 ml of the soaking liquid into a saucepan, add the remaining sugar, mirin, soy sauce and sake and bring to the boil. Add the carrot and shiitake and simmer for 3-4 minutes until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let cool.
7. While the rice is still warm, fold in the cooked carrot and shiitake. Dip your hands in the hand vinegar and divide the rice mixture into 6 balls. Squeeze out excess juice from the bean curds bags and open with your fingers. Stuff a ball of rice into each bag and fold in the edge (optional). You may cut some bags in half and stuff rice in the corner to make a three-cornered ‘Napoleon’s hat’shape.
8. Arrange the bags on a serving plate and serve with pickled ginger and soy sauce

STARS, HEARTS AND FLOWERS
Makes 18-20 pieces

Just like cookies, these children’s sushi are made in pretty colors and shapes. Specially shaped moulds are sold in Japanese stores, but if you don’t have access to such exciting shops, use decorative cookie cutters and other mould shapes.

INGREDIENTS:
½ quantity vinegared rice

Cherry blossom sushi:
100 g cod or haddock fillet, skinned
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper
Red vegetable food coloring (if you don’t want to use food coloring, use grilled fresh salmon, flaked, instead of the white fish and coloring)

Spring green sushi:
100 g shelled green peas
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt

Golden star sushi:
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Star, daisy and diamond or heart shaped sushi moulds, or cookie cutters

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Make the vinegared rice (sumeshi).
2. Put the fish in a saucepan, add just enough boiling water to cover and simmer until well cooked. Drain, then carefully remove all the small bones. Pat dry with kitchen paper and put into the dry saucepan. Using a fork, crush into fine flakes. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, then cook over a low heat, continuously stirring with a fork, for about 2 minutes, or until the fish is very dry and flaky. If using food coloring, dilute 1 drop with 1 tablespoon water, then stir quickly through the fish to spread the color evenly. Remove from the heat and let cool. (alternatively, use fresh salmon cooked to flakes in the same way or crush canned cooked red salmon into flakes.)
3. Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the peas and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Crush with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor to form a smooth green paste. 4. Stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt.
5. Lightly oil a small saucepan and heat over a moderate heat. Put the eggs, milk and sugar in a bowl, mix, then pour into the pan. Quickly stir with a fork to make soft scrambled eggs. Remove from the heat and let cool.
6. Divide the vinegared rice into three. To make the cherry blossom sushi, put 1 tablespoon of the pink fish flakes in the bottom of a small heart-shaped mould and press about 1 tablespoon of the rice on top. Turn out onto a plate, fish side up. Repeat until all the pink flakes and a third of the rice are used. Using a second mould, repeat using the green pea paste and another third of the rice. Using a third mould, repeat using the scrambled eggs with the remaining third of the rice. If using grilled fresh salmon, use a fourth mould.
7. Arrange cherry blossom, flower, star and spring green sushi on a large serving plate.