Hinamatsuri Chirashi Sushi
Tomorrow is Hinamatsuri – Girl’s Day (or literally doll’s day) – here in Japan! This is a traditional celebration that is held every year on March 3 (3/3) that is enjoyed by girls and their families across the country. Most importantly, it is a time of family gatherings and eating delicious treats such as pastel colored rice crackers (hina arare - 雛あられ), sweetened sticky rice balls (hishi mochi - 菱餅) and Chirashi Sushi to name just a few!
Chirashi Sushi is basically a bowl of sushi rice (rice flavored with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt) that is topped with slices or cubes of raw fish, sliced omelette etc. You can choose literally any topping you prefer for Chirashi Sushi, but generally speaking, the more colorful the toppings, the better!
Normally, mothers and daughters will display a pair of dolls: a male doll (Obina - sometimes referred to as the emperor) and a female doll (Mebina - sometimes referred to as the empress) as well as other court personnel prior to March 3. The two main dolls represent marriage. There is a superstition that if you do not remove the display immediately the day after March 3, the daughter(s) will end up marrying late in life. So, the display is carefully put away for the next year, up until the daughters are around the age of 10. These elaborate and often highly priced dispalys are then passed on from generation to generation. In my home, having such a protective husband, he would keep the display up all year round if he could, to ensure our daughters would NEVER marry!
Chirashi Sushi is a dish we enjoy thoroughly in our family, not only during Hinamatsuri, but on any normal day. Its light, healthy and perfect for warm weather as it is obviously eaten cold. The perfect meal for the start of a warm spring! Happy Hinamatsuri to you and all your lovely daughters!!
RECIPE: Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups hot boiled (Japanese) rice
7 to 8 tbsp rice vinegar (depending on your preference)
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
250 g fresh raw salmon (sashimi grade)
170 g fresh raw tuna (sashimi grade)
70 g salmon roe (ikura)
50 g flying fish roe (tobiko)
180 g pre-boiled shrimp
80 g surimi (fake crab sticks)
20-30 g daikon sprouts (radish sprouts)
1 medium carrot (+ 1 liter water for boiling)
4 eggs (beaten + 1 tbsp oil)
Soy sauce
Wasabi (optional)
METHOD:
1) Add the rice vinegar, sugar and salt to a small pot and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.
2) While the boiled rice is still hot, spread it into a wide and shallow bowl evenly. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the hot rice and begin to gently “cut” through the rice with a rice spatula, occasionally turning the rice over and “cutting” again. Once thoroughly mixed, spread the rice out evenly once more, set aside and allow to cool completely.
3) Begin preparing the toppings. Slice the salmon and tuna into 0.5 cm slices, or cut into bite-sized cubes.
4) Peel the carrot, and cut width-wise into small 0.5 cm round slices. Using small cookie cutters in the shape of sakura (cherry) or ume (plum) blossoms, cut out flower shapes and set aside. Bring a small pot of water to boil, and add the flower shaped carrots, boiling for around 3-4 minutes. Carrots should be softened but not falling apart or turning mushy. Once cooked, strain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Strain again and gently pat dry. Set aside.
5) For the omelette: Heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Fold a paper towel into a little square, and using chopsticks or tongs, dip the paper towel into small bowl of neutral flavored oil, and grease the pan accordingly. Pour 1/3rd of the beaten egg into the pan, and swirl the egg around until it covers the entire base, cooking it for around 20 seconds, until the top is almost dry. Flip over the omelette, to cook for another 10 seconds, until cooked through, but being careful not to allow it to brown. It must maintain its beautiful yellow color. Slide onto a large plate, and continue with the remaining egg, making another 2 omelettes.
6) Tightly roll the omelettes into cigar shape, cut in half, and place each half side by side. Slice very thinly creating little ribbons of omelette and set aside.
7) Once the sushi rice has cooled completely, spread the omelette ribbons all around the top of the rice. Then spread the salmon and tuna slices on top of the omelette, followed by the shrimp and surimi. Using a teaspoon, add the salmon roe and flying fish roe and top with the daikon sprouts. Finally add the sliced carrot flowers on top for the final touch.
8) Prepare small soy sauce dishes for each person, in which you can mix soy sauce and wasabi (optional). Spoon the rice into bowls for each person and pour the soy sauce over the rice evenly.
Enjoy and Itadakimasu (“Let’s eat” in Japanese)!
Gastronomically yours,
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