Singlethread | 09. 2022 Recipe

Rinse and soak rice

Place 2 cups of short-grain rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, stirring gently with your hand, until the water runs clear (about 3–4 minutes). Drain. Transfer rinsed rice to a medium bowl and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Let soak 30 minutes, then drain thoroughly.

Prepare mushrooms

While rice soaks, wipe matsutake mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove dirt—do not rinse under running water. Trim the base, then slice into 1/4" pieces for cooking. Reserve 1 oz of mushrooms thinly shaved for garnish and a few small caps for whole finish if desired.

Toast mushrooms (optional)

Heat 1 tsp neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the 6 oz sliced matsutake and sauté gently 2–3 minutes until they release aroma and begin to soften but not brown. This step blooms fragrance and reduces moisture.

Combine rice and liquid

Place the drained rice into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or donabe. Add the sautéed mushrooms on top. Mix 2.25 cups dashi (or stock) with 2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp light soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sake and 1 tsp fine sea salt; stir to combine and pour evenly over rice and mushrooms. Do not stir rice into the liquid—leave arranged as is.

Cook rice

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat (about 6–8 minutes); once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer 12 minutes without lifting the lid. After 12 minutes, turn off heat and let the rice steam, still covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking.

Fluff rice

Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a rice paddle or wooden spoon, folding the mushrooms through the rice to distribute evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or a drop more soy if needed.

Prepare garnish while rice steams: thinly shave 1 oz matsutake and place in a small bowl. Add 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil, the zest of 1/4 lemon and a few drops (about 1/4 tsp) of lemon juice, 1 Tbsp chopped mitsuba or parsley, and thinly sliced scallion (reserve most of the white part for a warm pop and a few green rings for color). Toss gently and season with 1/4 tsp shichimi or ground white pepper. This bright, aromatic garnish will be used to top the finished rice.

If using whole small mushroom caps, warm them briefly in a dry skillet for 30–45 seconds to warm through and concentrate aroma; set aside.

Spoon the matsutake rice into warmed shallow bowls. Top each portion with a mound of the shaved matsutake garnish, arranging a few warmed whole caps if you reserved them. Drizzle any remaining garnish oil lightly over the rice. Finish with a sprinkle of the green scallion rings and an optional light dusting of shichimi for a gentle spice note.

Serve immediately with optional sides such as lightly pickled cucumber or daikon and a small portion of steamed greens. The rice is the star: encourage diners to savor the perfume of fresh matsutake against the subtly seasoned dashi rice.