Japan publishes open-faced inari-zushi recipe — The Japan Times
In Japan, during the shinmai new-rice season, an open-faced inari-zushi recipe was offered — pockets of fried tofu filled with sushi rice and topped with fillings. As The Japan Times reports, shinmai is valued for its slightly sweet, nutty flavor and pleasantly springy texture.
Origins of inari-zushi
Inari-zushi is made with abura age — fried tofu simmered in soy broth and filled with sushi rice. The dish’s name is associated with Japanese beliefs about foxes, which are said to love fried tofu, as well as with Inari shrines dedicated to rice cultivation. Fox statues are placed at the entrances to such shrines.
In the Kansai region, triangular inari-zushi is common, with its shape intended to resemble fox ears. In Kanto, rectangular tofu pockets with rice are associated with tawara — bundles of freshly harvested rice. In Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture and Kasama in Ibaraki Prefecture, an open-faced version of the dish is served with rice and toppings on top.
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Rice, tofu and toppings
For 12 portions, the recipe requires 270 milliliters of shinmai rice, the same amount of cold water and kombu. The rice is washed until the water runs clear, cooked with kombu, and then mixed with seasoned rice vinegar, chopped pink pickled ginger and toasted white sesame seeds.
Six sheets of fried tofu are blanched, cut in half and opened. They are then simmered with kombu, sake, sugar and soy sauce, and the cooled pockets are filled about halfway with rice. Each portion is topped with a shiso leaf, strips of red pickled ginger, softly scrambled eggs and tonburi — mature kochia seeds. Because of its appearance and texture, tonburi is called “field caviar.”
The finished inari-zushi can be assembled three to four hours before serving, tightly covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature, avoiding heat and cold.
