Bamboo shoots chirashi sushi

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

360ml rice

120 grams boiled bamboo shoots 200 grams sliced round steak beef 1 tbsp dashi stock 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp sake 2 tbsp soy sauce 20 grams ginger 20 grams watercress Pickled ginger slices

DIRECTIONS:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Wash the rice and place it in a strainer. Cook the rice in 400 milliliters of water after letting it soak for at least 30 minutes. As the rice is used for sushi, only steam the rice for a short time. Mix 1½ tbsp of sugar, 2½ tbsp of rice vinegar and ½ tsp of salt to make vinegar for sushi. When the rice is cooked, combine the rice and the vinegar to make sumeshi rice.

Thinly slice the bamboo shoots, put them into a bowl, and add dashi stock, 1 tsp of sugar and 2 tsp of shoyu. Wrap the ingredients in aluminum foil. Cook on high heat in a double-side broiling grill for five minutes. If a single-side broiling grill is used, mix the ingredients after five minutes of heating, then heat for another three minutes.

Put sugar, sake and soy sauce in a pan and bring them to a boil. Add the beef, cut into bite-size pieces. Remove the beef from the pan after being boiled at high heat, which will prevent the beef from becoming too tough. Boil down the cooking liquid, and add the beef again when the liquid is thickened.

Cut ginger into thin strips. Soak them in water and then strain them. Pluck the leaves of the watercress, and cut the stems into small rings. Mix the sumeshi rice with the strained bamboo shoots, beef, ginger and watercress stems, and place them on a plate. Sprinkle pieces of watercress leaves and ginger slices pickled in sweet vinegar over the dish.

“Boiling food is easy once you get used to it,” Ota said. “I strongly recommend enjoying the tastes these dishes have to offer, which are only available during this season.”