Hinamatsuri chirashizushi

Step 1: Rinse 14 oz Japanese short-grain rice in cold water, swirling and draining, until the water runs almost clear. Cook it with 1 ¾ cups water in a rice cooker or covered pan (bring to the boil, then lowest heat for 13 minutes, then rest 10 minutes off the heat).

Step 2: Meanwhile, warm ¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 1 tsp salt in a small pan, stirring just until dissolved. Simmer 3 ½ oz lotus root slices in a splash of this vinegar mixture with a little water for 3 minutes, until tender but still crisp, then drain.

Step 3: Tip the hot rice into a wide bowl, pour over the rest of the vinegar mixture and fold it in with cutting strokes while fanning it. The common mistake is stirring hard: that mashes the grains into paste. Stop when the rice is glossy and close to body temperature.

Step 4: Steam or poach 7 oz salmon fillet in barely simmering water for 8–10 minutes, until opaque all the way through and it flakes easily. Drain, cool a little, and flake it, removing any bones you find with your fingers.

Step 5: Beat 3 eggs well. Brush a frying pan with 1 tsp vegetable oil over a low heat and cook thin omelettes, one ladle at a time, for about 1 minute each, until set with no runny egg. Roll them up and slice into fine ribbons.

Step 6: Blanch 2 ⅞ oz mangetout in boiling water for 1 minute, until bright green, then cool in cold water and slice on the diagonal. Pat 5 ½ oz cooked peeled prawns dry.

Step 7: Spread the rice on a large platter or in a shallow dish. Scatter over the salmon, then cover with egg ribbons. Arrange prawns, mangetout and lotus slices on top, and add 1 nori sheet just before serving so it stays crisp.

Step 8: Serve within 2 hours of making, keeping it cool. Leftovers go in the fridge, covered, and should be eaten the next day; the rice hardens when chilled, so let it come up to room temperature for 20 minutes first.