Chirashi-oshi-zushi & Temari-zushi (Layered Sushi & Sushi Ball)

Ingredients (serves 4): [Shishimeshi] 3 cups of pre-cooked rice 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar (kome-zu) A 10cm (4 inch) piece of dried kelp (konbu) [Chirashi-oshi-zushi] 3 eggs 150g (0.3 lb) ground chicken (tori hikiniku) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon mirin 1 tablespoon sake 1 tablespoon salad oil 80g (3 oz) pink-colored fish powder (sakura-denbu) *"Denbu" is made from the boiled, parched, seasoned, and colored meat of fish. 100g (0.2 lb) snow peas (kinu-saya) [Temari-zushi] 1 avocado 120g (0.26 lb) smoked salmon 1 lemon
Preparations: [Sushimeshi] 1. To add the flavor of kelp to the vinegar, soak the kelp in 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar. After 20 minutes, remove the kelp from the rice vinegar.
2. To prepare the rice, first wash the rice in a stew pot, soak in 3 and 3/5 cups of water for at least 30 minutes. Cover the pot and cook over a high heat until the rice boils. Reduce to a low heat and cook for a further 12 minutes. 3. Remove the rice from the heat. Sprinkle the flavored rice vinegar over the freshly prepared rice and mix-in. Stir the rice with a rice paddle using a slashing motion in order to help with the evaporation of excess moisture.}
[Chirashi-oshi-zushi] 1. To prepare the scrambled egg, beat 3 eggs, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, and mix. Warm salad oil in a pot, add the egg mixture, and scramble over medium heat for about 5 minutes. To prevent the eggs from burning, remove the pot from the heat at intervals. To separate the scrambled egg into small pieces, mix using a bundle of four chopsticks.
2. To prepare the chicken meat, put the ground chicken in a pot. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place over medium heat and mix with chopsticks until excess moisture evaporates.
3. Boil the snow peas for 3minutes. Drain the peas and shred into 3 cm (1 inch)-long strings.
Cooking Directions: [Chirashi-oshi-zushi] 1. In a container, place a piece of plastic wrap. 2. Place some rice on the plastic wrap and flatten.
3. Cover the rice with sauteed chicken and again flatten. 4. Cover the chicken with some rice and repeat flattening. 5. Cover the layered sushi with plastic wrap, again flatten to ensure firmness and remove from the container.
6. Turn the layered sushi and place on a plate. 7. Decorate the layered sushi with scrambled eggs, snow peas, and denbu. Separate and serve for individually.
[Temari-zushi] 1. Separate the avocado into 2 peaces, remove peel and seed. Slice the separated avocado into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces. Cut the smoked salmon into 2.5cm pieces. Sprinkle lemon juice over the smoked salmon and the avocado.
2. Spread a 20cm (8 inch) -square plastic wrap. Place 1 piece of smoked salmon on the plastic wrap. 3. On the smoked salmon, place the two avocado slices.
4. Place 2 tablespoon of sushi rice on the salmon and the avocado.
5. Wrap and shape into a ball. 6. Unwrap and serve the sushi ball on a plate.
Tips: * To ensure layered sushi is firm enough to serve, remove the moisture from the sauteed chicken and the scrambled egg before adding to the dish.(Chirashi-oshi-zushi) * Create your own original layered sushi using a variety of molded bowls and containers.(Chirashi-oshi-zushi) * Leave the rice to cool before making a sushi ball to avoid damaging the flavor of the smoked salmon and avocado.(Temari-zushi)
Japanese Liquid Measures: 1 cup = 200ml = 6.76 fl oz 1 tablespoon = 15ml = 0.5 fl oz 1 teaspoon = 5ml = 0.16 fl oz