Kama Meshi Yokokawa Style Rice Casserole Recipes

KAMA-MESHI (YOKOKAWA STYLE RICE CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Place skinned and boned chicken breast pieces into a glass bowl and pour the dark soy sauce and 2 tbsp sake over them. Mix by hand to ensure all pieces are coated with the liquid. Refrigerate until needed.
• Rinse dried mushrooms well in cold water and rehydrate in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and slice mushrooms thinly and add to a small saucepan. If using fresh, just rinse and slice but do not soak.
• Combine both stocks and then add 1/2 cup of the combined stock to the small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add marinated chicken slices, the beef, and bamboo shoots. Stir and mix well, lower the heat to medium, cover the pan and simmer for three minutes.
• Put the rice with the remaining stock, along with the salt, into a large saucepan or casserole dish with lid. Stir and bring this to a boil.
• While boiling, add the light soy sauce, the rest of the sake and give the mixture another stir.
• Add the beef and chicken mixture from the other pan. Do not stir this vigorously, but move the pieces around gently with a wooden spoon so the meat, bamboo shoots and mushrooms sit on top of the rice. The stock should be enough to cover the meat.
• Cover the pan or casserole tightly and leave to cook undisturbed on medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover briefly, and add the chopped scallions. Cover again, and leave the casserole to rest for 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

QUINOA AND MUSHROOM KAMA-MESHI (JAPANESE CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing, and rinse for at least 2 minutes under the running water. Drain.
• Dry and toast quinoa in saucepan. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate. Remove to a large bowl.
• Strain the dried mushrooms, reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. Discard the stalks and finely slice the caps.
• In a small saucepan, heat the sherry and the stock. Cover and keep at a low simmer.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute the onion over medium high heat for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and Nanami Togarashi and cook for 1 minute.
• Increase the heat to high heat and add fresh mushrooms, reserving the enoki until later. Cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
• Add the quinoa, dried mushrooms, reserved soaking liquid, and hot stock, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes, or until all the liquid is evaporated.
• Chop the coy sum and steam until just wilted, then add to the caserole along with the enoki mushrooms. Stir in the rayu and serve.