oshizushi (pressed sushi)

One of the fillings in this oshizushi is sweetened tuna. When I was in college, my friend made this dish for me. I was having a really bad day and before my friend left to go to school, she made this sweet tuna with hot rice and a very nice note. I ended up eating three bowls of rice and finished the tuna. I felt much better after that. She taught me how to make this so if I ever had bad days, I can always make it. :) I didn't really have a bad day, but I was thinking of her so I made it. I'm grateful to have such a wonderful friend (who can also cook).

Ingredients:

Japanese rice - 4 cups
Sushi-ko (sushi powder) - 1/2 packet or more to your liking

Tuna can - 1 (small)
Salmon - 1 fillet
Shiitake mushroom - 1 cup (sliced)
Eggs - 2 (beaten)

soy sauce
Cooking rice wine (optional)
Mirin (optional)

Prep:

1. Cook rice.
2. Soak shiitake mushroom in hot water. 
3. Prepare one baking loaf (5 by 9-ish) pan by lining it with saran wrap. 

Soak mushroom in water

Cook:

1. Turn the rice cooker off, take the rice out in a big bowl. Mix in sushi ko or sushi su (rice vinegar)
2. On a frying pan, heat 1 TBS of oil. Fry salmon fillet, break into smaller flakes. Season with salt. Take it out in a bowl. 
3. On the same frying pan, heat 1/2 TBS of oil. Drain water from tuna can. Fry tuna flakes for one minute. Add in 1 TBS of soy sauce, 1 TBS sugar, 1 tsp of cooking rice wine (if you're using) and 2 tsp mirin. Fry until almost dried up. Set it aside in another bowl.
4. Wipe the frying pan. Add in 1/2 TBS of oil. Fry shiitake mushroom. Add in 1/2 TBS soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar and pinch of salt. Set it aside. 
5. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl and add pinch of salt and pinch of white pepper. Coat the frying pan with thin layer of oil (use paper towel or brush). Cook thin layer of egg and fry for 1 minute. Flip and fry for another 30 seconds. Repeat. Cool and cut into thin strips. **see TIPS

Sweetened tuna

Break salmon into smaller flakes

Rice + sushi powder or rice vinegar

Serve:

1. In a prepared baking loaf, scoop one cup of sushi rice. Using another piece of saran wrap and push it down using your fingers or use another baking loaf to push it down. 
2. Spread sweetened tuna on top of the rice.
3. Add another cup of sushi rice on tuna. Using wrap, push it down. **see TIPS
4. Spread salmon flakes. Add another cup of rice. Push it down.
5. Spread mushroom. Add another cup of rice and push it down.
6. Finish with sliced eggs on top. 
7. Cut into slices (like meatloaf!) 

 

I ran out of sushi rice (made only 3 cups), so it didn't stay well.

TIPS

• Roll up each egg sheet and cut into strips (it's easier, that way!)
• When pushing it down, you have to push down really tight so it won't fall apart when cutting.