Traditional Chirashi Zushi

ingredients:

• 7 ounces raw tuna
• 8 shrimps
• 7 ounces cucumbers
• 4 eggs
• 10 ounces carrots
• 2 ounces
• dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ounce dried gourd strips
• 1 sheet dried laver
• 4 servings sushi rice
• 6 1/2 cups water
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• a little salt
• 1 tablespoon salad oil

step 1:

Cook sushi rice.

step 2:

In separate bowls (each containing 1 1/4 cups of water) soak the dried shiitake mushrooms (for 30 minutes) and the dried gourd strips (for 10 minutes) to reconstitute them.

step 3:

Hull shell and devein the shrimps. Wash them. Mix 2 cups water and a little salt in a pan and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and boil for 3 minutes on medium heat.

step 4:

Beat the eggs. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and a little salt. Coat a frying pan with a paper towel which has been soaked with salad oil. Place on low heat. With a ladle, pour some of the egg mixture into the frying pan and tilt it so that it spreads evenly over the bottom. Remove from pan when cooked and place on a cutting board. Repeat this process to make 3 or 4 paper-thin omelets. Stack them on top of each other on the cutting board.

step 5:

Let them cool. Cut the stack into julienne slices.

step 6:

Cut the carrots into julienne slices. Place in a pan with 3/4 cup water, 1/2 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cover and boil on a medium flame for about 15 minutes until the carrots become soft.

step 7:

Drain the water from the gourd strips and discard. Put the gourd strips in a pan with 1 1/4 cups of new water and boil until they become soft. Drain them in a colander and let them cool.

step 8:

Squeeze any additional water from the gourd strips and cut them into 1/3 in. long sections. Squeeze the water from the shiitake mushrooms. Do not discard this water because it will be used in Step 9. Cut the shiitake mushrooms into julienne slices.

step 9:

In a pan, place the 1 1/4 cups of shiitake mushroom water, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, shiitake mushrooms and gourd strips. Boil for about 20 minutes on medium heat.

step 10:

Cut the raw tuna into bite-size pieces. Marinate in 2 tablespoons soy sauce for about 10 minutes on each side.

step 11:

Thinly slice the cucumbers. Cut the dried laver into slivers with scissors.

step 12:

Mix the sushi rice, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and gourd strips in a big bowl or big deep dish. Let cool about 30 minutes.

step 13:

Decorate with the cucumbers, egg, raw tuna and shrimp. Place the dried laver on last.