Inarizushi

Fried tofu pouches de-oiled, simmered sweet, squeezed out and filled with cold sushi rice.

Fish. Not vegetarian — contains fish.

Ingredients

the pouches

• 12 aburaage
• 400 ml dashi
• 60 g caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin

the rice

• 500 g prepared sushi rice, as on its own page
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. POUR BOILING WATER THROUGH THEM FIRST. Aburaage arrives saturated with frying oil, and that oil both tastes stale and stops the pouch absorbing the simmering liquid. A minute in boiling water, then pressed between the palms, and the water that comes out is visibly greasy.
2. This step takes two minutes and is the difference between a pouch that tastes of dashi and one that tastes of old oil.
3. ROLL A CHOPSTICK OVER EACH ONE before opening it, pressing firmly. That separates the layers inside, and a pouch opened without it usually tears.
4. Cut each in half and open carefully into a bag.
5. Simmer the pouches in the dashi, sugar, soy and mirin under a drop lid, 20 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half and they are deep brown.
6. SWEETER THAN SEEMS RIGHT. The pouch is strongly sweet-salty against plain vinegared rice, and a timidly seasoned one tastes of nothing.
7. COOL THEM IN THE LIQUID, then SQUEEZE EACH ONE OUT gently but firmly before filling. A dripping pouch makes the rice wet and the whole thing collapses.
8. Fold the sesame seeds through the rice. The rice must be at room temperature -- warm rice steams inside the pouch.
9. Fill about two thirds full and press the rice in lightly with the fingertips. Packed tight, the pouch splits.
10. Fold the open edges over and set them seam down. Serve at room temperature.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Japan · All recipes