Morel Kombu Rice with Salted Pork Belly (YUKI-TSUBAKI rice)

A special rice recipe by our ambassador chef, André Chiang, using a premium Japanese rice YUKI-TSUBAKI.

Chef Comments

Please tell us what you feel the difference is between YUKI-TSUBAKI rice and other kinds of rice. (appearance, flavor, moisture content, color, before/after cooking, etc.)

YUKI-TSUBAKI rice has a crystal clear appearance that stands out immediately when held in hands, while during the cooking process, it maintains the moisture just like freshly harvested rice; Water and rice character creates an intensive rice aroma with dense texture which holds the shape perfectly, even if you overcook it.

Please tell us your opinion about what kind of cooking is suitable for YUKI-TSUBAKI rice.

Obviously, YUKI-TSUBAKI provides one of the best rice options for baked rice, however I discovered a new usage for YUKI-TSUBAKI rice. I personally like to challenge the limits and YUKI-TSUBAKI rice did not disappoint me. I use it for Risotto style cooking, and I notice that it works perfectly for risotto dishes, and its fragrance and density make the “risotto” light and fluffy, which makes the risotto light and bright, better than traditional risotto rice!

Ingredients for 4 servings YUKI-TSUBAKI rice 160g Water 340ml ------------------------------- Marinated pork belly 250g Dried kombu 1pc --------------------------------- Pickled green chili 8pc (about 20g) (or any other pickles of your choice) Celery leaves 5g or Fresh Angelica leaves 6g (or any other herbs of your choice) Celery leaves 5g 1 bunch of local purple cabbage or leaves Dried morels 20g Black truffle 3g (optional) ---------------------------------- Chicken fat (Chicken oil) 25ml Light soy sauce 50ml Sichuan pepper 5g

 

Instructions

1. Place rice and water in the kakugama and boil to reduce the water while mixing sometimes with chopsticks until there is almost no water left at medium heat (about 10 mins).
   
   
2. Add dried morels that were just lightly washed and a half piece of kombu, then mix them together with rice.
   
   
3. Put pork belly with the other half of kombu onto the rice and then simmer with the external lid for 20 minutes at low heat.
   
   
4. Cut vegetables into dices (purple cabbage, celery leaves and Angelica leaves).
   
   
5. Add cut purple cabbage in the kakugama and roughly mix a little with rice (without mixing the pork) and soak for 10 minutes.
   
   
6. Steam for 20 minutes at 80 degrees with the external lid.
   
   
7. Take out and put aside the pork belly and kombu then add angelica or celery leaves and the pickles.
   
   
8. Add soy sauce, Sichuan pepper and chicken oil and then mix everything together.
   
   
9. Lightly burn the sides of the rice to add some aromatic flavor.
   
   
10. Mix everything together then serve the rice into a bowl.