HOTARU IKA

PREP TIME 30 min

COOK TIME 45 min

DRIED SQUID STOCK

1 pc Chinese dried cuttlefish/octopus 1 pc leek, halved

1 pc onion, halved 1L dashi stock Small handful of white peppercorns

Roast the dried cuttlefish/ octopus in the toaster or over charcoal until fragrant. Put all items into a pot of dashi stock (you can use powdered stock), and slowly reduce until it is about 500ml. Strain the stock.

RISOTTO

1 cup Japanese rice/bomba rice/arroz (must be short grain rice)

1 pc onion, diced

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 tbsp canola oil 200ml dry white wine 50ml rice vinegar White pepper to taste Cuttlefish/squid ink

A good chunk of unsalted butter

In a saucepan, add oil and onions and saute on gentle heat until translucent. Deglaze it with the vinegar, and then add in rice (unwashed) and smashed garlic clove.

Toast the rice until fragrant, then deglaze with white wine until it has been completely absorbed by the rice.

In another pot, heat up the squid stock. It does not have to be boiling but must be hot. Using a ladle, add stock to rice and agitate constantly, folding and ensuring starch activation. Taste the rice, and keep adding stock until it has reached the texture you desire. (Depending on how fast the rice cooks, there may be stock left over.) Add in cuttlefish ink, and cook out the raw taste for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring rapidly.

Once the rice has reached your desired texture, take it off the heat and fold in the butter, stirring constantly until the rice is smooth and shiny. Season with salt and white pepper.

HOTARU IKA (FIREFLY SQUID)

Steam the hotaru ika gently to set the surface. Remove the eyes and central cartilage carefully without damaging the internal organs. Cool down in the fridge and reserve.

To serve on rice, coat the prepared hotaru ika lightly in oil and cook over charcoal. If you do not have a charcoal grill, you can also saute them lightly in a non-stick pan over high heat.

ASSEMBLY

Place rice into a bowl, and put hotaru ika on top. You can add a dash of tabasco on top of the rice. Garnish with seaweed and freshly cracked white pepper.