‘Chirashi-zushi’ is a type of Sushi and it is a kind of decorated rice salad. It is very popular in Japan. I often make it, but I have never made ‘Chirashi-zushi’ with Chicken. As Teriyaki Chicken is my Aussie family’s favourite filling for Sushi Rolls, today I decided to make Teriyaki Chicken Chirashi-zushi for the first time in my life. It was delicious of course.


Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

Sushi Rice
2 cups (*180ml cup) Japanese Short Grain Rice
50ml Rice Vinegar
40g (about 40ml) Sugar
Slightly less than 1 teaspoon (4g) Salt

Teriyaki Chicken
500g Chicken Thigh Fillets *cut into bite-size pieces
Salt
Oil *optional
1 tablespoon Mirin
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Other Ingredients
3 to 4 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms *softened and sliced
Mirin, Sugar and Soy Sauce to season Shiitake
1/2 Carrot *cut into small pieces or strips
10 Snow Peas
2 Eggs
1/2 Edamame Beans *thawed if frozen
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Toasted Sushi Nori (Seaweed Sheet) *cut into fine strips

Method
  1. Cook Rice with slightly less amount of water to achieve firmer texture. Make Sushi Vinegar by mixing Rice Vinegar, Sugar and Salt.
  2. When Rice is cooked and steamed, pour the Sushi Vinegar over the HOT rice, then empty it into a large mixing bowl. Mix it well gently and thoroughly, fanning the rice with a fan or piece of cardboard to help the rice cool quickly. Cover the Rice with a damp cloth to stop the Rice drying out.
  3. Soak Dried Shiitake in water until soft, drain and slice thinly. (OR use already sliced Dried Shiitake.) Place in a sauce pan, add just enough water to cover, 1 tablespoon Sugar, 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce & 1 tablespoon Mirin, cook until the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool and squeeze slightly to remove excess liquid.
  4. *Note: If you cook Fresh Shiitake, instead of simmering in the sauce, you can cook them with the Teriyaki Sauce that is left in the frying pan after Chicken is cooked.
  5. Prepare other ingredients. Carrot can be cooked in salted water. When almost cooked, add Snow Peas and quickly blanch them. Drain well. Cut Snow Peas diagonally into strips.
  6. Mix Sushi Rice, Carrot, Snow Peas, Edamame and Shiitake, and combine.
  7. Cook Eggs into Thin Omelette Strips.
  8. Lightly season Chicken with Salt. Heat a frying pan, lightly oil it if required, and cook Chicken until nicely browned. Remove excess Oil using paper towel if you want to do so, then add Mirin, Sugar and Soy Sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens.
  9. Place Sushi Rice on individual serving plates or a large serving plate, cover with Thin Omelette Strips, place Chicken on top, and sprinkle with some Toasted Sesame Seeds and Nori.