Yaki Onigiri and Dashi Green Tea Broth – Ochazuke

Any green tea can be used but I like to use genmaicha which is green tea leaves with roasted brown rice as the rice balances out the grassy flavour of the tea by providing savoury aromatics with a toasted, nutty flavour.

I love the concept of ochazuke and it has become one of my favourite comfort foods. Here's my version of ochazuke. Enjoy :)

Yaki Onigiri Ingredients: • cooked plain hot sushi rice shaped into a triangle with onigiri mould or shape with hands • soy sauce mixture - 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 ½ tablespoon mirin (pack the rice in, insert the top part of the mold, squish down and release your onigiri) Method: Heat a frying pan with a little oil. On a medium heat, fry each side of the onigiri until the rice forms a crisp skin and is lightly brown, then brush each side with some soy sauce mixture and continue to fry each side on a low heat until it forms a nice crust. Note: Keep a careful watch over the onigiri when frying it after it has been brushed with the soy sauce mixture as it can burn.

Grilled Salmon Nobu Style (Adaptation of Nobu's Miso-Marinated Black Cod recipe via momofukufor2) Ingredients: 2 salmon fillets with skin (about 200g each). Miso Marinade: 2 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons mirin, 2 tablespoons white miso paste, 1 ½ tablespoon sugar. Method: In a small saucepan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil over medium heat, then turn the heat down to low and whisk in the miso until it has dissolved. Turn heat up to medium, add sugar and cook, whisking until it has just dissolved. Transfer marinade to a baking dish and let cool. Then add the salmon fillets, turn to coat evenly with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Preheat oven to 200C. Heat frying pan and add some oil. Take the salmon fillets out of the miso marinade and lightly wipe off the excess with a paper towel and pat dry. Add the fillets into the pan and cook skin side down over medium-high heat until browned (1-2 minutes). Flip the fillets over and cook for 10-20 seconds, then put them onto a baking sheet and roast for ~ 10 minutes. Break apart salmon into flakes.

Dashi Green Tea Broth Ingredients: Japanese Green Tea (I used genmaicha - green tea leaves with roasted brown rice). Dashi Stock: 3 cups water, 10cm square piece kombu (dried kelp), 3 tablespoons of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Method – Dashi Stock: Using scissors, make a few snips into the kombu to help release the flavours. Place water and kombu in a saucepan and soak for at least 30 minutes (the kombu will soften and expand). Place the pan over medium heat and bring to boil. Just before it reaches boiling point, remove the kombu and discard. Add the katsuobushi to the pot, boil for 30 seconds. Turn the heat off and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain dashi stock through a fine sieve. Do not squeeze out the flakes, as this will make the stock cloudy and very fishy. Make green tea according to packet instructions. For 1 cup of hot water, I added 2 teaspoons of green tea and let it stand for 60 seconds, then strain. Dashi and Green Tea Broth: When ready to serve – combine 1 cup of green tea with 1 cup of dashi stock, then season with a little salt to taste.

Ochazuke: Place a yaki onigiri in a bowl, add salmon flakes on top of the onigiri and sprinkle over some furikake. Pour in dashi green tea broth to submerge the onigiri.

Enjoy!

From http://www.blueapocalypse.com/2012/12/yaki-onigiri-and-dashi-green-tea-broth.html