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Shirasu don
Rice bowl with whitebait
Shirasu don: warm rice heaped with soft cooked whitebait, spring onion and shiso
Shirasu don comes from the Shonan coast around Enoshima and Kamakura, where the fishing boats bring in tiny whitebait from spring to autumn and cafés serve them boiled and piled over rice for lunch. At home it makes a five-minute supper: the little fish are soft, salty and sweet like the sea, lifted by spring onion, ginger and fresh shiso. Buy kamaage or kama-age shirasu, the ready-boiled kind sold chilled in Japanese shops; keep it in the fridge and use it by the date on the pack. Don't use raw (nama) shirasu at home. The common mistake is pouring soy all over; the fish are already salted, so a few drops are enough. Chef's tip: lay the shirasu on the rice in a loose heap rather than pressing it flat, so it stays fluffy and moist.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 14 oz cooked short-grain ricewarm
- 3 ½ oz cooked whitebait (kamaage shirasu)chilled
- 2 spring onionsthinly sliced
- 1 tsp fresh gingerfinely grated
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 4 shiso leaves (optional)finely shredded
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Divide 14 oz cooked short-grain rice between two bowls. Use freshly cooked rice, or leftover rice that was cooled quickly and is now reheated until piping hot.
Step 2: Take 3 ½ oz cooked whitebait (kamaage shirasu) from the fridge just before serving and pile it loosely over the rice. The fish should smell fresh and sweet, never sour; throw away any past its date.
Step 3: Top with 2 spring onions, 4 shiso leaves and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds if using, put a small mound of 1 tsp fresh ginger to one side and drizzle each bowl with 2 tsp soy sauce. Eat right away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shirasu don take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of cooked short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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