Mother lode of Sushi Rice

[Too Tall]

Don't ask. I am now in possession of 25 lbs of very high quality sushi rice with no recourse. I'll pawn some off on a couple of my neighbors who will make use of it. The remainder deserves some love.

Talk to me about your traditional or tried and true recipes.

BTW We love Sushi rice, thank dog.

[spopepro]

The way I think to eat *really* good rice is with a little bit of salt and an umeboshi on top. If you haven’t yet enjoyed fresh onigiri, that’s definitely worth making. My favorite filings are umeboshi and negimiso*. They are also a great thing to bring to parties.

Shake hijiki Gohan is another way to enjoy great rice. I don’t think a donabe is a must—an enameled cast iron pot with the lid just slightly vented should work I think.

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Two nights ago we enjoyed ssambap. All you need for this is some good ssamjang, a spicy protein (we used goju stewed tuna) big hearty leaves (we used Korean perilla, and some baby-ish kale from our garden) and rice. Put it all out on the table like it’s 1982 and taco night for the fam. Banchan for extra credit (we had cucumbers, braised chives, thin fish cake, and kimchi).

Bimimbap is great, but the only type that should exist is dolsot bimimbap. Heating the rice in the clay pot on the stove both keeps your bimimbap warm, but also developes a golden crispy layer that is to die for. Don’t get hung up on the toppings—pick 5-8 colorful veggies, a ground or flaked protein, and either a raw egg yolk or a barely cooked whole egg. I think this might work with other stoneware by preheating it empty in an oven at 425, brushing it with toasted sesame oil, and then loading it up and waiting for just a bit. The crispy rice might not be as good, but it is part of the way there. Just use a spoon and mix it up, ok? No picking at it with chopsticks.

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*negimiso: if you can get Tokyo negi, awesome—use 3 of those. Otherwise I like a small/medium leek and a few green onions. Slice thin. Cook in some veggie oil until they begin to brown in spots. Add about a half cup of miso (your choice, anything but saikyo), a glug of mirin, a couple tablespoons of dashi, and only enough sugar to balance the salt of the miso. Stir constantly and cook down until it’s a thick paste. Use this on veggies/tofu. Keep cooking for a dry somewhat clumpy paste, use this in onigiri.

[Too Tall]

spopepro Thank you thank you thank you. You have given me a leg up and I've got homework. Don't laugh, I need to take baby steps. Most fundamentally I must perfect making Sushi rice. I had very good results the first try thank to moon and star alignment no doubt. I made the rice stovetop using a small heavy cast enamel pot over a low flame and it came out terrific. For the rice flavoring I used salt, mirin and a dab of honey. Honestly, if it weren't weird I could eat that for lunch with almost nothing on it.

I'll hit my local Japanese grocery for umeboshi tomorrow, that is right up my alley. Thanks for the onigiri tip, that sounds like something I could easily turn into something I bring to parties.

Alot to unpack, thank you.

[spopepro]

Glad to hear toots--
As far as just the tips for the rice: Letting rice soak beforehand and then letting it steam with the heat turned off (in a heavy pot) is the right way, even if everyone else has moved to electronic cookers with more computing power than a Cray Y-MP. My memorized proportions are 20min soak, 18ish* min on high/medium high heat, 20 min rest for 540ml of rice (3 Japanese cups of rice) and 600ml of water. I'll have a light hand with the water if it's very fresh rice. More water if you're being bad and not letting it sit for the whole 20min first. But don't do that.

I'm way less picky about preparing the rice for sushi... I don't let it cool like I should and I add too much of the seasoned vinegar at a time... I just kind of figure it works out and it's going to taste sweet and salty and vinegary anyway.


*The thing I actually pay attention to is the steady stream of steam from the donabe. About 1min after the steam appears strongly is when I cut the power. I don't know how this would translate to a cast iron pot method, but maybe it works?

[j44ke]

The way I think to eat *really* good rice is with a little bit of salt and an umeboshi on top. If you haven’t yet enjoyed fresh onigiri, that’s definitely worth making. My favorite filings are umeboshi and negimiso*. They are also a great thing to bring to parties.

Shake hijiki Gohan is another way to enjoy great rice. I don’t think a donabe is a must—an enameled cast iron pot with the lid just slightly vented should work I think.

053A014F-1757-4862-8BE6-1F05A6579E32.jpg

Two nights ago we enjoyed ssambap. All you need for this is some good ssamjang, a spicy protein (we used goju stewed tuna) big hearty leaves (we used Korean perilla, and some baby-ish kale from our garden) and rice. Put it all out on the table like it’s 1982 and taco night for the fam. Banchan for extra credit (we had cucumbers, braised chives, thin fish cake, and kimchi).

Bimimbap is great, but the only type that should exist is dolsot bimimbap. Heating the rice in the clay pot on the stove both keeps your bimimbap warm, but also developes a golden crispy layer that is to die for. Don’t get hung up on the toppings—pick 5-8 colorful veggies, a ground or flaked protein, and either a raw egg yolk or a barely cooked whole egg. I think this might work with other stoneware by preheating it empty in an oven at 425, brushing it with toasted sesame oil, and then loading it up and waiting for just a bit. The crispy rice might not be as good, but it is part of the way there. Just use a spoon and mix it up, ok? No picking at it with chopsticks.

47C4C676-4E42-4985-BA9A-22BE6339AAF2.jpg


*negimiso: if you can get Tokyo negi, awesome—use 3 of those. Otherwise I like a small/medium leek and a few green onions. Slice thin. Cook in some veggie oil until they begin to brown in spots. Add about a half cup of miso (your choice, anything but saikyo), a glug of mirin, a couple tablespoons of dashi, and only enough sugar to balance the salt of the miso. Stir constantly and cook down until it’s a thick paste. Use this on veggies/tofu. Keep cooking for a dry somewhat clumpy paste, use this in onigiri.

I want to eat at your house.

[Too Tall]

Last evening we sat on the front porch devouring ugly Onigiri. I used leftover meat and veg. bits to make it interesting.

The rice was not hot enough, according to the "red hands" standard so ugly delicious food results ;)

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[vertical_doug]

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...tail&FORM=VIRE

You should try to make and eat Sekihan at least once.

[ides1056]

I am a heretic: I put pesto on the rice, cut an avocado over this and call it good.

[defspace]

+1 to just dropping an umeboshi on top and just enjoying good rice for being good rice. I'd extend that to tsukemono (pickles) in general. Unfortunately, I can't give recommendations by name, I just know what the ones I like look like. Just grab a handful of the packets when you're in the grocers. There's a whole rainbow of tangy, salty, sour, sweet colors to enjoy.

Drop into any 7-11 in Japan and they'll have onigiri in the fridge. Sure beats the hotdog rollers!

[j44ke]

If you want tidy onigiri, maybe try a mold. Makes it possible to create carry-along food for cycling.

[vertical_doug]

You can also add rice to your barbecue. Yakionigiri.... done right, a real treat/

https://www.justonecookbook.com/yaki...led-rice-ball/

[caleb]

You can also add rice to your barbecue. Yakionigiri.... done right, a real treat/

https://www.justonecookbook.com/yaki...led-rice-ball/

Awesome link. My wife is working up ways to make rice-based lunches that are grab and go. This looks like a strong set of options.

[vertical_doug]

You haven't lived until you have had Wagyu on the grill, with grilled sweet corn and yaki onigiri. You can do shitake with garlic in butter in tinfoil too.

And Too Tall, just to be correct, you have short grained Japonica, not Sushi Rice. Sushi Rice is a just a twist adding secret ingredients the Sushi Chefs do to make the rice easier to make into rolls and make a little sweeter..

It's a bit like Asian Fit Oakley's.... is it even a thing...

[caleb]

It's a bit like Asian Fit Oakley's.... is it even a thing...

Too close to home. When my half Asian now-wife and I were dating, I bought her an early pair of the Asian-fit Oakleys. Turns out, she doesn't have an Asian nose. Who knew? (I guess I was supposed to.)

[Too Tall]

OK fine the Japonica rice with Mirin, seasme oil, salt and honey made another debut this evening. I've contaminated it with Ahi marinated in the usual + avacado and sesame seeds. We are walking in tall grass my friends.

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