Spring celebration with wildflowers, Gorse Chirashi zushi and wild garlic tempura
“野花のちらし寿司と天ぷら”
At my home in Japan, spring starts with a feast; colourful Chirashi-zushi to celebrate the girl’s day and tempura of wild plants arrived by express delivery from my grandparents in Fukushima. I recreated using local ingredients; wild plants from East London!
Chirashi-zushi means "scattered sushi"; various ingredients are scattered on top of the spread sushi rice. It is a popular dish for any special occasion because you can decorate it with different ingredients to make it look festive.
I flavoured the sushi rice with fried tofu simmered in sweet soy sauce, fresh dill, and scattered petals of edible wildflowers as the finishing touches of spring colours. Petals of gorse taste like peas, and ground ivy flowers have a mild minty note.
Tempura is made with a wild garlic flower, asparagus, and carrots.
“野花のちらし寿司と天ぷら”
日本での春のご馳走と言えばひな祭りのチラシ寿司と福島の祖父母から送られてくる山菜の天ぷらでした。そんな郷愁にかられて出来たこの日の料理。
チラシ寿司は甘辛く煮たあぶらげにディルの爽やかな香りを加え、食用できる野花を散らして春らしい彩を添えました。天ぷらの食材は旬のワイルドガーリックの花、アスパラ、そして人参のかき揚げにしました。
Ingredients (for 2)
Rice 200g (preferably Japanese rice. sub risotto or pudding rice )
Aburaage, Japanese fried tofu 1sheet/20g
Mirin 1tbsp
Sugar 1/2tbsp
Soy sauce 1tbsp
Grounded white sesame seed 1/2tsp
Dills 1tbsp(chopped )
For Sushi vinegar
Rice vinegar 2tbsp
Sugar 1/2 tbsp
Salt a pinch
Rinse the rice until the water becomes clear. Add 230ml of water and let the rice absorb the water for 30 minutes before cooking. Cover and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and keep it covered with a lid.
Add the fried tofu, mirin, sugar and soy sauce in a saucepan and simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated.
Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl and let it cool down. Pour the combined sushi vinegar, sesame seeds and dills over the rice and fold it in a cutting motion. When the rice is cooled, decorate it with toppings you like. I recommend something colourful for a festive finish but not something watery as the rice soaks the moisture.
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