Chazuke is a comfort food in Japan. Literally tea over rice. Here we swap out the white rice for a tasty mixed rice and stir through delectable miso cured salmon.
Smear the cure all around the salmon and wrap in plastic wrap.
Place the wrapped salmon on tray or plate and place in the refrigerator. Liquids will be expelled from the salmon, so ensure the tray or plate contains them.
Cure the salmon for 24 hours. Best not go longer than that as it can become too salty. Wash off the cure, dry, then rewrap in plastic wrap and place back into the refrigerator until needed.
Mixed rice
Wash the rice until the washing water runs clear.
Pre-soak the rice in the 5 cups water for a minimum of 3 hours, or as long as overnight.
Rice cooker: use the setting for brown rice.
Saucepan: Put the rice and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes. If all the water hasn’t been absorbed, cover again and continue cooking over a low heat for another 10-15 minutes.
Fluff up the rice, then keep covered until ready to serve so that it continues to steam.
Tsuyu
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring up to a high simmer.
Simmer for 5 minutes to evaporate off the alcohol.
Remove from the heat.
Reheat if necessary before use.
Plating
Cut the skin from the salmon and then dice the salmon flesh into 10-15mm square pieces.
Toss the cubed salmon together with the rice.
Add a “bowl” of mixed rice and salmon to a high sided plate.
Pour in some tsuyu.
Top with sea grapes or something else visually and taste appropriate.