The Ultimate Rice Cooker
Page 13
4 fried tofu puffs (abura age; optional)
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 cups Sharon’s Dashi or ½ packet instant powdered dashi
1. Wash the rice. Place the rice in a bowl (or use the bowl of your rice cooker) and fill the bowl about half-full with cold tap water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand. Carefully pour off most of the water, holding one cupped hand under the stream to catch any grains of rice that are carried away with the water. Holding the bowl steady with one hand, use the other to rub and squeeze the wet rice, turning the bowl as you go, so that all the rice is “scrubbed.” The small amount of water in the bowl will turn chalky white. Now, run cold water into the bowl, give the rice a quick swish, and carefully drain off the water as before. Repeat the scrubbing and pouring-off process two more times. By the third time, the water you pour off will be nearly clear. Place the drained rice in the rice cooker bowl.
2. Trim any fat from the chicken and cut it into small bite-size pieces, about 3.4 inch square. Put the chicken in a small bowl with the soy sauce. Mix well, using your fingers to gently but firmly “massage” the soy sauce into the chicken. Spend at least 1 minute doing this. It is an important step that ensures that the chicken will not give off the objectionable odor that sometimes results when chicken is cooked in water. Leave the chicken marinating in the soy sauce.
3. Place the dried mushrooms in a micro wave-safe dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add water to the dish, 3.4 to 1 inch deep. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and micro wave it on high for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and allow it to cool. (Alter natively, you can soak the mushrooms in cold water for several hours or in hot water for about 30 minutes.)
4. Slice the carrot into thin strips about 1½ inches long by ¼ inch wide, sort of like a fat julienne. Set aside.
5. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, slice the konnyaku into pieces similar in shape to the carrot. If you are using konnyaku balls, slice them about ¼ inch thick. When the water boils, add the konnyaku and boil, uncovered, for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
6. Rinse out the saucepan, refill it with water, and bring it to a boil again.
7. By now, the mushrooms should be cool enough to handle. Remove them from the liquid (reserving the liquid) and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Cut off the stems and discard. Slice the mushrooms thinly and set aside.
8. When the water boils, add the tofu puffs and boil them for 1 to 2 minutes to remove any excess oil. Drain the puffs in a colander. When they are cool enough to handle, slice them in half crosswise, then stack the halves and cut into thin strips.
9. Add the sake, mirin, and salt to the rice in the rice cooker. Add most of the mushroom soaking liquid to the rice, pouring slowly and carefully and discarding the last bit, which always contains some grit from the mushrooms. If you are using the dashi powder, add it now, and then add water until the liquid reaches the 3-cup level on your rice cooker bowl. If you are using homemade dashi, add it until the liquid reaches the 3-cup level on your rice cooker bowl. Stir to combine. (Or use a U.S. measuring cup and combine the sake, mirin, salt, mushroom liquid, and dashi to equal 3 U.S. cups. Add the liquids to the bowl and stir to combine.)
10. Add the chicken, mushrooms, carrot, konnyaku, and tofu strips to the rice cooker. Stir gently but thoroughly to combine, but do not stir them down into the rice. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
11. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Stir the rice thoroughly with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon to incorporate the chicken, tofu, and vegetables with the rice. Serve the rice immediately or hold on the Keep Warm cycle for up to 1 hour.
note:Abura age, or deep-fried tofu puffs, are sold fresh or frozen in Japanese markets or are available canned; fresh or frozen are preferred. If you buy fresh ones, you can keep them in the freezer so they’ll be ready for takikomi gohan, inari zushi, or other uses. One variety of frozen puffs is already seasoned; this is best for inari zushi. For this recipe and other rice dishes, use the unseasoned variety.
indonesian rice bowl
From one of the Bay Area’s favorite food writers, backyard gardeners, and seed pur veyors, Renee Shepherd, comes this satisfying one-dish meal adapted from her book Recipes from a Kitchen Garden (Ten Speed, 1993). This is a great recipe to use up leftover chicken. The popular peanut sauce is one of the definitive tastes of the Southeast Asian and Thai cuisines. This simplified version of the rijsttafel table, a popular full-rice meal in Indonesia, looks incredibly festive served with all the condiments.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
RICE
1 cup Thai jasmine rice
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2½ cups fresh or frozen petite peas (2 pounds fresh unshelled)
2½ cups shredded poached chicken breast
½ cup hot chicken stock
SAUCE
⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, white parts only, minced (chop the green tops for garnish)
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
CONDIMENTS
Separate small bowls of chutney, sliced bananas, raisins, unsweetened shredded coconut, minced fresh cilantro leaves, mandarin orange segments, chopped apples, plain yogurt
1. Make the rice: Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Make the sauce: In a medium-size sauce pan, combine all the sauce ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until the mixture achieves a saucelike consistency. Cover and keep warm.
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, sprinkle the peas and chicken on top of the rice. Close the cover and let the rice steam for 20 minutes.
4. Transfer the rice mixture to a warmed serving platter with sloped sides. Pour the hot stock and peanut sauce over the rice. Stir gently to combine the peas and chicken with the stock and peanut sauce. Sprinkle with the green onion tops and peanuts. Serve immediately with a choice of condiments.
chicken donburi
Donburi is a Japanese dish that is served in a special oversized rice bowl of the same name. Once Beth discovered how much she loved Calrose and Tamaki Gold rices, she had to have a special simple little meal with which to eat them. Here is one of her best and fastest. If you use the chicken stock, you can add a small piece of kombu dried seaweed (cut an inch-square piece with kitchen shears), if you like. Mirin is a low-alcohol sweet cooking wine (of which there is also a non-alcohol version available) that you can find in the Asian food section of the supermarket.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 3
2 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
1½ cups (2 rice cooker cups) Japanese-style short- or medium-grain white rice (not Arborio or other risotto-style rice)
2 cups water (1⅔ cups for short-grain rice)
Pinch of sea salt
2 cups Dashi or chicken stock
3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine) or 3 tablespoons sake and pinch of sugar
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch strips
6 to 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes Chopped green parts of green
onions or minced fresh chives, for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons toasted Japanese sesame seeds for garnish
1. Place the mushrooms, if using, in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 30 minutes. Or partially cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, remove the stems, and cut the caps into thin slices.
2. Wash the rice. Place the rice in a bowl (or use the bowl of your rice cooker) and fill the bowl about half-full with cold tap water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand. Carefully pour off most of the water, holding one cupped hand under the stream to catch any grains of rice that are carried away with the water. Holding the bowl steady with one hand, use the other to rub and squeeze the wet rice, turning the bowl as you go, so that all the rice is “scrubbed.” The small amount of water in the bowl will turn chalky white. Now, run cold water into the bowl, give the rice a quick swish, and carefully drain off the water as before. Repeat the scrubbing and pouring-off process two more times. By the third time, the water you pour off will be nearly clear.
3. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and let the rice soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. When the soaking period is finished, set for the regular cycle.
4. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice gently but thoroughly with a plastic or wooden rice paddle or wooden spoon. Close the cover and let the rice steam for another 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, poach the chicken. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the dashi, tamari, and mirin. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken and mushrooms, if using, and cook, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. At the very end, toss in the tofu and let it heat for a minute or so.
6. When the rice has finished steaming, fluff it with the paddle or spoon again. Spoon the rice into individual bowls and top each with a portion of the chicken and tofu mixture. Ladle some of the poaching broth over the top and garnish with the greens and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
paella sauté with saffron and spanish rice
Beth’s dear friend and consummate food writer Rick Rodgers serves this dish to his own weekend guests. It has all the elements of a classic paella—rice, saffron, sausage, chicken, bell peppers—but is oh so much easier and so much quicker. It is adapted from his book, On Rice (Chronicle Books, 1997), and when we asked him what his favorite recipe was, this was it. We heartily agree.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4 to 5
2 cups medium-grain white rice or Valencia medium-grain rice (not Japanese style)
2⅔ cups plus 2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
3 ounces Spanish chorizo or other smoked sausage, such as linguiça or andouille, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch-long strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup frozen petite peas
1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram leaves, crumbled
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1½ cups Fish Stock (see), or ¾ cup water and ¾ cup bottled clam juice
½ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
Hot pepper sauce
Chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, for garnish
1. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of olive oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add 22.3 cups of the water and the salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a plastic or wooden rice paddle or wooden spoon. The rice will hold on Keep Warm for up to 4 hours.
3. While the rice is cooking, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet cook the chorizo with the remaining 2 tablespoons water over medium-high heat, stirring, until the water evaporates and the sausage is browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to drain on a layer of paper towels. Add the chicken to the skillet; cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes, then transfer the chicken to the paper towels with the sausage.
4. Add the olive oil to the skillet along with the shallot, bell pepper, and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the peas, oregano, and saffron.
5. In a small bowl, combine the fish stock, wine, and pepper flakes. Whisk in the cornstarch until dissolved. Pour this mixture into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Return the sausage and chicken to the skillet. Cook until the sauce has thickened and is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the salt and hot pepper sauce to taste.
6. To serve, portion the rice into shallow soup bowls and top with the sauté and a bit of the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
madame soohoo’s fish and rice
This is a home recipe from Elaine Corn and David SooHoo, owners of Bamboo Restaurant in Sacramento, California. “David’s mother makes a marinated fish that cooks right on top of the rice in the cooker,” said Elaine during one of our conversations about rice. She always uses Nishiki brand rice. “When my mother visits from Texas, she always carries back bags of Nishiki in her suitcase; they don’t have it available down there,” she adds. An excellent one-pot meal it is; perfect with a raw vegetable salad and steamed green beans or broccoli.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 3 to 4
About 1½ pounds fish fillets (red snapper, flounder, catfish, sole, or salmon)
MARINADE
2 teaspoons minced garlic or peeled and minced fresh ginger
3 green onions, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons brandy or dry sherry
Pinch of sugar
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
RICE
1½ cups Japanese-style medium-grain white rice, such as Nishiki or Calrose
1¾ cups water
1. Break or slice the fish into 2-inch pieces. Place it in a shallow bowl or glass baking dish.
2. Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over the fish. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours (not overnight; the fish will get mushy).
3. Wash the rice. Place the rice in a bowl (or use the bowl of your rice cooker) and fill the bowl about half-full with cold tap water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand. Carefully pour off most of the water, holding one cupped hand under the stream to catch any grains of rice that are carried away with the water. Holding the bowl steady with one hand, use the other to rub and squeeze the wet rice, turning the bowl as you go, so that all the rice is “scrubbed.” The small amount of water in the bowl will turn chalky white. Now, run cold water into the bowl, give the rice a quick swish, and carefully drain off the water as before. Repeat the scrubbing and pouring-off process two more times. By the third time, the water you pour off will be nearly clear.
4. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water; swirl to combine. Place the marinated fish pieces on top of the rice in the water; pour in any leftover marinade. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
5. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
&n
bsp; salmon stuffed japanese rice balls
Rice balls, called onigiri, are the sandwiches of Japan and a favorite portable food. They sport a variety of fillings, anything from tuna salad to an umeboshi plum. Tucked inside lunch boxes, briefcases, and backpacks, toted on picnics and car trips, rice balls are tasty, filling, nutritious, and cheap, and they hold up well for hours at room temperature. Flaked salted cooked salmon is perhaps the most popular filling. You can freeze salted uncooked salmon strips, individually wrapped. Then you can be ready to make onigiri anytime. There is no need to thaw the salmon strips before cooking them in the oven or micro wave. Our thanks to Atsuko Ishii for this tip for busy cooks.
Salt is key to two parts of this recipe, so use a good-quality fine sea salt instead of the kind that comes in the box with the girl with the umbrella on the front. You can find Japanese sea salt in plastic bags in Asian markets, or use French sea salt or fine sea salt from the health food store or gourmet market. (If you’re doubtful that it makes a difference, perform a side-by-side taste test. The mass-market salt is harsher.)
The Japanese technique of salting the salmon hours before cooking is used here. It flavors the fish and acts as a preservative and some say it diminishes any fishy taste. You can buy salmon already salted in Japanese markets, but it ís certainly easy enough to do at home. Salt plays another important role in onigiri. Before shaping the balls of hot rice, you will rub a bit of salt on your wet hands. The salt will melt and gently flavor the rice. While you might be a bit awkward at first with the shaping, it is a skill that develops rapidly with practice. Have fun! Salmon balls are eaten at room temperature.
Sushi nori are the square sheets of thin seaweed used for wrapping sushi rolls. You can find them on the shelf in Asian markets, large supermarkets, or health food stores.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: About 20 rice balls; serves 5 to 6
⅓ pound fresh salmon fillet, skin on
½ to ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus extra for shaping
3 cups (4 rice cooker cups) Japanese-style short- or medium-grain rice
5 sheets sushi nori
1. At least 2 hours and up to 1 day before you want to make rice balls, salt the salmon. If your salmon is in a thick piece, cut it into pieces ½ to 3.4 inch thick. Sprinkle the salt all over the cut sides of the salmon. Place the salmon in a container, cover tightly, and refrigerate until ready to use (or freeze; see headnote).