MOMMY'S CHIRASHI
It's about time I share with you one of my favorite meals from home. Being half Japanese, my Mom spoiled me with some incredible cooking, but chirashi remains one of my favorite! Before I dive into how to make it, let me explain what it is. "Chirashi" means "scattered," so it makes sense that this is a bunch of "scattered" fish and vegetables laid over a big bowl of rice. I love this dish because it simplifies sushi, another one of my favorite foods that can be very complicated to make. This is also a very versatile dish, so you can completely change up the ingredients my mom and I use, or you can mix our choices with others. Have fun with it!
Ingredients: (one serving)
1 cup of sushi rice (we use brown rice for a healthier option)
1/2 cup of rice vinegar
1/4 cup each of sashimi grade fish (we use mackerel, salmon, ika (squid), unagi (eel), octopus, hamachi (yellowtail)
1 shiso leaf (this is a sweet green and pairs well with fish)
3 tbsp of tobiko (flying fish roe)
Half of a scallion finely chopped
Directions:
1) Cook the rice and let it stand for 10 minutes. Add to a bowl with the rice vinegar ad mix well.
2) Slice your sashimi at an angle for a prettier display when serving. Keep the slices a little thicker to prevent the fish from breaking apart.
3) Organize your fish and vegetable of your choice around the perimeter of the bowl and work your way around.
4) Top off your chirashi with fresh scallions or pickled vegetables is another favorite of mine.
5) Serve chirashi with ginger, soy sauce and wasabi to taste.
6) You can either pour soy sauce or ponzu sauce over the top, or I like to dip individual bites into my soy sauce. It's whichever you prefer.
Other suggested toppings:
Sea Urchin
Bean Sprouts
Carrots
Cucumber
Ahi
Pickled Vegetables
Egg
Seaweed