Receta Salmon Ochajuke (Rice With Tea)

by Sunny Shin

  Salmon ochazuke is a traditional Japanese dish of steamed rice served in a small rice bowl, topped with grilled salmon and tea. Essentially, ochazuke is a simple, Japanese rustic soup of rice with tea. Ochazuke is good when you don’t have much appetite too.  There is nothing hard to digest in the ingredients.  It can be great to eat after holidays or parties.  Let your tummy rest from big feasts, and have some mild but tasty Ochazuke! Serve 4      Prep 10 mins    Cook  10 minsIngredients:For Hojicha dashi (tea broth):15 g kombu (edible kelp), about 5"x7"15 g dried bonito flakes, about 2 cups4 cups (1 L) water½ tsp soy sauce1 Tbs (15 mL) hojicha (Japanese green tea) or 2 tea bags2 cups Japanese riceDash of saltTo top:Salmon flakes (*can be replaced with grilled salmon, or salmon sashimi)WasabiGreen onion, choppedSesame seeds, optionalKizami nori (shredded seaweed)Bubu arare (crispy puffed rice pallets), optionalSake-ikura (salmon caviar),optionalPreparation:Soak kombu in water for 2-3 hours. Bring to a boil on medium-heat. Remove kombu and turn off heat.Add bonito flakes to pot, and leave for 10 minutes until the bonito flakes sink to the bottom. Strain out bonito flakes through a fine nesh sieve over a bowl, and you’re left with a Japanese broth called dashi.Marinate the salmon with salt, mirin (or Sake) and leave for 10 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel.  Broil or grill about 5-6 minutes, until slightly brown. Remove the skin and bones, if any, and break up the flesh into flakes.Transfer 1 – 1½ cups (250-300 mL) of dashi to another pot. Add salt and soy sauce, and bring to a boil.Once it starts boiling, turn off heat right away and add hojicha leaves. Leave for 5 minutes, and transfer the ochajeuke dash, and tea broth to a tea pot for easy pouringPrepare four bowls of steamed rice.Add whichever style of salmon you’re using, and pour the dashi tea broth overtop into each bowl.Top with nori, green onions, sesame seeds, and a little bit of wasabi. Memo:You can also enjoy the Ochazuke with regular green tea instead of hojicha tea.