Unagi no mushizushi / steamed sushi with grilled eel

The perfect comfort food. Steamed sushi warms your hands, too.

<Ingredients>

2 rice bowls of sushi rice
10 cm unagi no kabayaki grilled eel
Several stalks mitsuba (kinsai Chinese celery as a replacement in photo)
Dashi (not in photo)
Salt & usukuchi soy sauce (not in photo)

For kinshitamago julienned egg crepe
1 egg
1/2 tsp potato starch & 2 tsp sake
Oil (not in photo)


<Directions>
1.

Make kinshitamago julienned egg crepe, and set aside.

2.

Blanch mitsuba, remove from boiling water, hold under running cold water to cool down, and soak in ohitashi broth for 10 minutes (dashi with dash of salt and usukuchi soy sauce).

Cut into 1cm pieces, and set aside.

3.

Cut unagi in small cubes.

4.

Mix unagi in sushi rice.

In heat-resistant (ceramic) bowls, put sushi rice mixture.

Top with julienned egg crepe.

5.

Steam over boiling water until inside is heated, about 5 minutes.

6.

Remove from steamer, top with mitsuba, and serve.

<Notes>

• Steamed sushi is a good way to finish leftover sushi rice (kept in fridge or freezer). If using frozen sushi rice, defrost in fridge overnight or microwave to soften somewhat. Because it will be steamed thoroughly, sushi rice can be cold and somewhat tough as long as it is manageable and can be mixed with other ingredients (grilled eel, in this case).
• Likewise, when using frozen grilled eel, it does not need to be defrosted as long as it can be cut into small pieces.
• Soaking mitsuba in ohitashi broth is optional. It is recommended if using snow peas or other green vegetables with a substantial texture.
• Steamer lid is covered with a cloth to prevent moisture from dropping on food in Process 5.