Chirashizushi / sushi with assorted ingredients and julienned egg crepe

In my hometown, chirashizushi features root vegetables cooked in broth, unlike the chirashizushi topped with raw, marinated or cooked seafood in some other areas, including Tokyo. When I was growing up, chirashizushi always appeared at celebrations such as March 3 (doll festival or girls' day), hanami cherry blossom viewing in April-May, birthdays and gatherings with friends. It is my favorite sushi from the home kitchen.

<Ingredients>

(Serves 6-8)

Sumeshi sushi rice (3 180 cc cups of uncooked rice)

1 large or 2 small/medium carrots
20-25 cm gobo burdock root
2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 large or 2 small usuage thin deep-fried tofu
400 cc dashi
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp (+1 tsp) soy sauce

5-6 snap peas or sugar peas

For kinshitamago julienned egg crepe
2 eggs
1 tsp potato starch + 1 tbsp tsp sake


<Directions>
1.

Rehydrate dried shiitake by soaking in water for 1+ hour or microwaving for 1 minute. Thinly slice, and cut into 1cm pieces. Prep-boil usuage, and cut into small pieces (7-8 mm squares). Sasagaki diagonal slice gobo, and soak in water to prevent discoloration and eliminate harsh taste. Thinly slice carrot, then cut into small pieces (1cm squares).

2.

In a pot, put dashi, shiitake, usuage, gobo and carrot, and bring to boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat, and remove foam that appears on surface.

Add sake, and cook on medium low heat until gobo is tender.

Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, and continue cooking.

When liquid level is reduced to less than 1/3, taste, and add slightly more soy sauce as necessary.

If time allows, remove from heat and cool before making any final adjustment to the taste.

Now the goodies are done (and can be frozen for one month if desired).

3.

In the meantime, prepare sushi rice, and make kinshitamago. 

Blanch and thinly slice snap peas.

4.

Mix goodies in sushi rice.

5.

Serve in a tray, bowl or plate, topped with kinshitamago and snap peas.

<Notes>

• Ideally, goodies and other ingredients (kinshitamago and green garnish) should be ready when sushi rice is ready. Sushi rice should be warm when mixing in goodies. If unsure of the time needed for each preparation process, soak rice, start preparing goodies, and while they are simmering, start cooking rice, make sushi vinegar and kinshitamago, and prepare green garnish. This way, by the time rice is ready to mix in sushi vinegar, goodies and other ingredients will be ready for the final process.
• Renkon lotus root and konnyaku yam cake are sometimes added to the goodies. If konnyaku is used, it is better not to freeze goodies, since konnyaku becomes like a sponge when defrosted (not tasty).
• Leftover chirashizushi tastes good when steamed. When steaming, remove green garnish first, and put it back once steamed (color of green garnish becomes dull if steamed together).
• If available, use mitsuba (fresh or blanched) or sansho leaves as the green garnish for an invigorating aromatic note.