chirashi
Chirashi means “to scatter” in Japanese, hence the way these bite sized pieces of fresh fish are arranged over warm sushi rice. I used to make a large bowl of this before work at my parents’ sushi restaurant (named Sushi 1) that has since closed. While we used fluke, tuna and salmon for this recipe, feel free to use other sushi grade fish like yellowtail, shrimp or even octopus. I’ve also included the family restaurant’s secret sushi vinegar recipe for those who might be missing the taste of Sushi 1 back home (tag us on social media if you end up using it, would love to see!!)
Ingredients
Sushi Vinegar
2.5L rice vinegar
1 pint sugar
500g arajio sea salt
35.5g katsuobushi
48g kombu
Heat the rice vinegar, sugar and salt until everything is warm and dissolved. Add the katsuobushi and kombu and cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge.
Simply strain the katsuobushi/kombu out when using the vinegar, but keep in the liquid for up to 3 months for a deeper umami flavor.
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Sushi Rice
2 rice cups haiga rice
670g water (or rice cooker instructions)
Rinse the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Soak in fresh water for 20 minutes and drain completely dry.
Cover the rice with 670g water and bring to a boil. Give the rice a thorough mix to prevent the bottom from sticking and lower the heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for 11 minutes. Turn the heat off and steam for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and immediately season with sushi vinegar, pouring the vinegar onto a sushi paddle and dispersing over the rice evenly. Start with 1/4 cup and adjust to taste.
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Assortment of Fresh Fish
Dice to bite sized pieces.
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Shiitake Tsukudani (store bought)
Pickled Ginger (store bought)
Wasabi
Soy sauce
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To Assemble
Place the seasoned rice in a bowl. Top first with the shiitake tsukudani, then the fish. Garnish with wasabi and pickled ginger. Dip into soy sauce for extra flavor.