Smoked Salmon Ochazuke

Ingredients(2 people)

• 150 g smoked salmon, flaked or torn into bite-sized pieces
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• 300 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice
• 400 ml hot genmaicha (Japanese roasted-rice green tea)
• 1 tsp instant dashi powder
• 1 umeboshi plum, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp bubu arare or crushed Japanese rice crackers
• 1 sheet nori, finely shredded
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp wasabi, or to taste
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
• Optional: a few shiso leaves, finely sliced

Method(15 minutes)

1. 01 Prepare the genmaicha according to the tea's instructions. Keep it very hot, but do not let it boil.
2. 02 Stir the dashi powder and soy sauce into the hot tea. Taste and adjust the soy sauce if necessary; the broth should be savoury but delicate.
3. 03 Divide the warm short-grain rice between two deep bowls.
4. 04 Arrange the smoked salmon over the rice, followed by the chopped umeboshi, shredded nori, spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.
5. 05 Sprinkle the bubu arare or crushed rice crackers over the top for crunch.
6. 06 Pour the hot genmaicha-dashi broth gently around the rice rather than directly over all the toppings. This keeps some of the salmon and garnishes intact.
7. 07 Add a small dab of wasabi and finish with a few drops of toasted sesame oil.
8. 08 Serve immediately, allowing the diner to mix the salmon, rice and tea together as they eat.