Shrimp And Rice Japanese Style Food

TEMPURA DONBURI (RICE BOWLS)

Steps:

• First, prepare the dipping sauce by combining dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin. We used instant dashi, but if you want to make it yourself, we have detailed instructions in our Miso Soup recipe. At this point, you can also cook the rice you'll serve with the tempura.
• Next, prepare the vegetables, making sure everything is washed and trimmed. Nothing should be too wet ahead of frying, so if needed, pat the vegetables with a kitchen towel or let them sit at room temperature to dry off while you prep everything else.
• Score the shrimp with a sharp knife so that they can lay flat (you can do this lightly if you don't mind them retaining some of their curved shape). Refrigerate the shrimp until you're ready to fry.
• Next, make the batter. Stir together the ice water, cake flour, and egg yolks. No need to get rid of all the lumps-in fact, take care not to overmix it. Pop it in the refrigerator while you heat the frying oil.
• In a small deep pot, heat enough oil to fill it about halfway, over medium-high heat. While that's happening, set up a wire rack over a sheet pan or a platter lined with paper towels. When a drop of the batter sizzles vigorously but doesn't brown too quickly, you're ready to go.
• To fry, swirl one piece of vegetable or shrimp in the batter (for the shrimp, hold it by the tail), and lower it gently into the batter. Fry everything in batches of 3-4 items for 45-90 seconds, turning each item 3-4 times. When the vegetables are lightly golden and the shrimp are lightly golden, orange, and floating, it's ready to be transferred to the wire rack.
• Adjust the heat as needed between batches as you add cold food to the oil. The oil should be hot enough that it doesn't take too long to cook the tempura, but not so hot that the food immediately turns golden when it hits the oil.
• To assemble the tempura donburi bowls, spoon a base of steamed rice into each bowl. Top with with vegetables and a few shrimp per bowl. Serve with the dipping sauce, grated daikon (optional), and perhaps a bowl of miso soup!

JAPANESE-STYLE FRIED RICE (CHAHAN)

Steps:

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the carrot and cook 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they're just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain and then return them to the pot. Add the corn, edamame, shiitakes, chicken stock, soy sauce, sake, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. In a small container, stir together the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water until smooth. Gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the pot, stirring constantly. Let the stock mixture come to a boil again and cook just until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the sesame oil and pepper to taste; keep warm, covered.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until they're barely cooked, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook, stirring often and breaking up the clumps but making sure not to smash the grains, until the rice is heated through and the egg has browned slightly, about 4 minutes. Season with about 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide the fried rice among 4 small bowls and firmly press down on the rice to pack it into the bowls. Overturn the bowls onto 4 large shallow bowls. Remove the bowls to reveal the mounds of rice and pour the sauce over each one. Top with the scallions and serve.

SHRIMP AND RICE, JAPANESE STYLE

Steps:

• Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the mushrooms and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're soft and brown in places, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the soaked kombu reserved from the dashi if desired and the rice; stir to combine. Add the dashi, soy sauce and mirin. Stir, adjust the heat so it bubbles gently, and cover. Cook until the rice is almost fully tender, about 15 minutes.
• When you remove the cover, the mixture should still be a little soupy (add a little dashi or water if it's dried out). Stir in the shrimp and peas, then raise the heat a bit and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, the shrimp cooked and the mixture is still moist but not soupy, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired and serve.
• Combine the kelp and 8 cups water in a large pot over medium heat. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil; as soon as it is about to, turn off the heat, add the bonito flakes and stir. Remove the kelp and reserve it to add to the rice if desired. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then strain. Use the dashi immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

JAPANESE-STYLE DEEP-FRIED SHRIMP COATED WITH RICE: DOMYOJI AGE

Steps:

• Cook the rice the day before, spread on a sheet pan, and refrigerate overnight.
• Separate the rice grains by gently rubbing with the palms of your hands, then chop rice coarsely, this is the domyoji.
• Make 3 cuts across inner curve of shrimp, 1/2-inch apart. (This prevents shrimp from curling when cooked.) Coat the shrimp in flour and shake off any excess.
• Dip shrimp into the egg whites and then into the coarse rice. (Be sure that the rice adheres firmly.)
• In a wok, heat oil over moderate heat to 350 degrees F. Deep-fry shrimp until golden. Drain well on absorbent paper and place on a sheet pan-well spread out-into a preheated 450 degree F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to finish cooking process. Serve immediately.
• Add green peppers to the wok and fry until tender. Remove and drain well.
• To serve, arrange 4 shrimp on green pepper strips on a preheated plate and sprinkle with ajishio seasoning, garnish with a lemon slice, and serve with sweet and sour sauce.

JAPANESE SHRIMP FRIED RICE WITH YUM YUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in cooked jasmine rice and frozen peas-carrot mixture; fry until rice begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir to combine. Pour in eggs and cook until firm. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, and 1/2 lemon juice; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a separate pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and fry until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and lemon juice. Combine with fried rice mixture.
• Combine mayonnaise, water, paprika, ginger paste, white sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl to make the yum yum sauce. Stir well. Serve with the fried rice.

JAPANESE RICE WITH SHRIMP AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Mix together the stock, soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil in a small bowl.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium hear and cool the spring onion for 1 minute.
• Add the ginger and rice and cook for a minute, stirring to coat the rice with oil.
• Add the stock and sauce mix, red pepper and snow peas, bring to the boil then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer gently for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
• Remove the lid and quickly place the shrimp on top of the rice, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir to combine and serve garnished with the reserved spring onion.

JAPANESE SEAFOOD AND RICE

Steps:

• Combine kelp with 4 cups water in a small saucepan, and turn heat to medium. If using dried shiitakes, add them. Bring almost to a boil, about 10 minutes (proceed to Step 2 while waiting), add bonito flakes and turn off heat. Remove shiitakes after 10 minutes.
• Put oil in a deep 10-inch skillet or fairly broad saucepan that can be covered; turn heat to medium high. Slice and add reconstituted mushrooms or sliced fresh mushrooms, along with onions and squid, and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges of all three are brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring until combined. Add peas and strained kelp-bonito flake water (dashi), along with soy sauce and mirin. Stir, reduce heat to medium low, and cover. A minute later, check that mixture is simmering, and adjust heat if necessary; cook for 15 minutes. Mixture should still be a little soupy (add a little dashi or water if it is dried out).
• Remove cover, add shrimp and stir; raise heat a bit and cook until rice is tender and mixture is moist but not soupy. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve.

JAPANESE CURRY WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• For the curry brick: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter is nearly melted, turn the heat to low. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste turns light brown, about 3 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the curry powder. Pour the mixture into a heat-safe mold of your choosing, such as a mini loaf pan or cupcake cup. Use immediately in paste form or smooth the top and place in the freezer to set (at least 20 minutes). Unmold; you can use the brick immediately or refrigerate or freeze it (see Cook's Note).
• For the fukujinzuke: Combine the dried chile, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sake and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add the daikon, beets, carrot, mushrooms, eggplant and ginger and bring back up to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let stand for 2 minutes, then strain the vegetables through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, reserving the liquid. Fold in the cucumber.
• Return the liquid to the saucepan and bring it to a simmer again over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Enjoy right away or transfer the pickled vegetables to a glass jar with a lid and pour the liquid over the vegetables. Stir with a spoon. Allow to cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The flavor is best if refrigerated a day or two, but it can also be eaten right away.
• For the curry: Shell and devein the shrimp. Rinse and drain the shells and set aside. Make a dashi (broth) by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and the bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the mixture. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by almost half (you want about 4 1/2 cups strained dashi), 20 to 30 minutes.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. You will have about 4 1/2 cups of dashi. This can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.
• To make the curry, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil into a large saucepan or 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add the minced yellow onion, tomatoes, remaining 2 tablespoons ginger and remaining 2 tablespoons garlic. Cook until softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add 4 cups of the shrimp dashi and simmer 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sake and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.
• Add the curry brick to the pot, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. The sauce should now have a velvety, thick but pourable consistency. If the sauce is too thick, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup dashi or water.
• Add the deveined, deshelled shrimp and mushrooms to the sauce. Stir to coat and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chile if using. Season with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the honey if you want the curry to be sweeter.
• Remove from the heat and serve over fresh-cooked rice or udon noodles and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve with a mound of fukujinzuke on the side.
• Wrap the cinnamon and allspice berries in a kitchen towel, then use a meat mallet to break into smaller pieces. Toast the whole spices by combining the cinnamon pieces, allspice berries pieces, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf in a medium skillet over low heat. Cook until fragrant and the mustard seeds just begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Stir often and be careful not to burn the spices. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Place the toasted cooled spices, kombu and shiitake mushroom in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Shake and tap the grinder a couple of times to ensure all spices are ground. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the ground ginger, turmeric, paprika and cayenne and combine with a fork or a small whisk. Store the curry powder in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.