Active Time

　　15 min

　　Total Time

　　45 min

　　We love this recipe as much for the soy-glazed bonito flakes, with their maddeningly good smoky-savory-sweet flavor, as for making such great use of leftovers.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　

For bonito-flake topping

Leftover katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes) from making dashi or 1 cup katsuo bushi fresh from package

　　1 tablespoon sake

　　1/4 teaspoon sugar

　　1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

　　2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

　　

For rice

2 cups Japanese short-grain rice

　　2 cups water

　　

Make bonito-flake topping:

Step 1

If using katsuo bushi flakes from package, moisten with a few drops of sake or water. Finely chop katsuo bushi, then cook in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and mostly dry. Add sake, sugar, and soy sauce and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is dry and glazed. Stir in sesame seeds and spread on a plate to cool.

　　

Make rice:

Step 2

Rinse rice in a bowl in several changes of cold water until water is almost clear; drain well in a large sieve. Combine rice and 2 cups water in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and let stand 10 minutes. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook at a rapid boil (lid will be rattling and foam may drip down outside of pan) 5 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Serve rice with bonito-flake topping.

　　Cooks' note:

　　·Bonito-flake topping keeps in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.