Plummelo

Ingredients (yields Serves 1 servings)

• 9 tablespoons Japanese Rice Vinegar
• 1 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Sugar
• 1 tablespoons Mirin (e.g., Mitoku brand)
• 4 cups Uncooked short grain white rice
• 1/2 wholes Konbu
• 4 tablespoons Sake

Cooking Instructions

1. Wash the rice in clean cool water until the water is clear and the starch is washed off.
2. Using a rice cooker, cook the rice in equal amounts of water (4 cups rice = 4 cups water). If desired, add the sake and konbu to the liquid.
3. While the rice is cooking, make the su by combining the rice vinegar, salt, sugar, and mirin in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow to cool.
4. After the rice has finished cooking, allow it to sit for 20 additional minutes.
5. Scoop the rice out into a baking dish. Using a "cutting motion" spread the rice into a shallow layer. This allows more of the water to evaporate and exposes the rice to the su which you will next pour over. I also help the water evaporate by turning on the exhaust fan above the stove to help "suck" the water vapor out of the rice. Others gently fan the rice.
6. Holding the rice paddle between the sugar mixture and the rice, slowly pour the sugar mixture over the rice. The purpose of using the paddle is so that the sugar mixture is more evenly incorporated into the rice.
7. Using a a mixture of slicing motions and folding movements, mix the rice together. The goal is to coat all of the rice in the sugar mixture without crushing the rice grains.
8. Taste the rice as you go. If you feel that you need more of the sugar-vinegar mixture, add more. Make this judgment relatively quickly because if the su is added to rice that has cooled too much, it creates a "soggy" rice.
9. Cover the finished rice with a damp paper towel until ready for use.