Chirashi Sushi - Recipe

Chirashi Sushi

• For the sushi rice:
• 2 cups Japanese rice
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Kosher salt
• For the cooked toppings:
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 medium or 2 small Japanese eggplants
• 1 cup beech mushrooms or other small button mushroom
• 8 shiitake mushroom caps
• 8 pieces extra-firm tofu, 1 ½” x 3” x ½”
• To serve the sushi:
• 1 cucumber
• 1 tablespon rice wine vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 1 handful kaiware sprouts
• 4 shiso leaves
• ½ ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• pickled ginger
• wasabi paste
• 2 teaspoons umeboshi plum paste (or 4 pickled umeboshi plums, pitted and mashed)

1. For the sushi rice: Cook the rice using a rice cooker or according to package directions. Whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, and 4 teaspoons of salt.
2. When the rice is done, turn it out into a large, shallow wooden bowl (such as a salad bowl) and sprinkle on the vinegar mixture. With one hand, fan the rice with a magazine or similar, while gently cutting and folding the rice with a paddle in the other. Do not stir the rice or it will become mushy. Keep cutting and fanning until the liquid is absorbed and the rice has cooled down to near-room temperature, about 5 minutes.
3. For the cooked toppings: Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, and if using medium eggplants, again in half crosswise. Score the skin side of each eggplant in a fine diamond pattern, about ¼” apart.
4. Heat a large skillet over a medium-high flame and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook the eggplants with the flesh side down until starting to brown. Flip and cook with the skin side down for two minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water; cover the pan, and continue cooking until thoroughly tender, about 3-5 more minutes. Remove the eggplant and season with salt.
5. In the same pan, add 1 more tablespoon of oil, raise the heat to high, and stir-fry the beech mushrooms for 1 minute, and then remove. Repeat with the shiitake mushrooms caps.
6. Return the heat to high, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, and fry the tofu in a single layer until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and season with salt.
7. To serve: Peel the cucumber, and then use the peeler to shave it into long, thin sheets, avoiding the seeds. Toss the cucumber with the rice vinegar and a pinch of salt.
8. Divide the sushi rice among 4 bowls. Carefully arrange portions of all of the ingredients around the rice, making sure that wasabi is visible so that it isn’t eaten accidentally.