Donabe Rice and Yuzu Kosho Scallops

Baby Rice

Donabe on Stove

Pear Salad with Dates and Almonds

Scallops on the Grill

Scallops, Donabe Rice

Japan takes their rice seriously. It is seasonal, and varies by location. We were shopping in Tokyo and bought what they called “Baby Rice”. I thought it was special for babies. It wasn’t. It was the first Rice of the season. It is supposed to be the best.

We always use a Sanyo Rice Cooker to make rice. It never fails. However, we wanted to go retro and make rice the way it used to be made: in a Donabe Pot. These ceramic pots are put directly on the fire. They are double domed to keep the steam in. In addition, the rice can become crispy on the bottom. We had held off buying a Donabe Pot. But as luck would have it, on returning to Los Angeles from Japan we were able to purchase one. A new Japanese Kitchen supply store opened: Toiro had just opened. They specialize in Donabe Pots.

With the rice we made Yuzu Kosho Scallops from The Japanese Grill by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat. There are two keys to making great Grilled Scallops. First – Have fresh fabulous Scallops. McCall’s once again came through. Second - and equally important: Just barely grill them. I did 1 minute on 1 side, 2 minutes on the other. The just need to be warm and hopefully have some grill marks. We purchased Seaweed Salad and Wasabi to serve with the Scallops. This was a GREAT meal!

Yuzu Kosho Scallops

The Japanese Grill

Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat

Dense, delicious sea scallops work great on the grill; they keep their shape and are easy to handle. But be careful when turning them, so they don’t fall through the grate.

1/2 cup Yiuzu Kosho)

20 sea scallops (about 1-1/2 pounds)

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade and set aside. Pour the remaining marinade into a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan. Lay the scallops in the marinade and gently turn them 4 times to generously coat all sides.

Preheat a grill to medium-hot. Brush the cooking grate dean and oil it well. Grill the scallops about 2 minutes on each side. They’ll turn from translucent to white and become firm and juicy when they’re done. Right before you pull them off the grill, dab the reserved marinade on top of each scallop. Serve immediately.

Plain White Rice

Hakumai

Donabe Naoko Takei Moore Kyle Connaughton

3 rice cups (2-1/4 cups / 540 ml) Short-grain white rice

2-1/2 cups (600 ml) cold filtered water or low-mineral-content bottled water (such as Volvic or Crystal Geyser)

Almost everyone who comes to our homes or work kitchens to plain donabe rice for the first time is shocked by how “perfect the rice tastes and how easy it is to cook in a donabe rice cooker. Because donabe lets the heat build slowly, the results are shinny and fluffy rice with a chewy, sweet taste. Good plain rice never gets old.—Naoko

First, rinse the rice. Combine the rice and enough cold water to completely cover the rice in a large bowl. Quickly swish the rice by hand in a circular motion several times so the water becomes cloudy. Immediately drain the rice in a colander. Repeat the process a few times until the water is mostly clear. Drain well in a colander.

Transfer the rice to the donabe and add the 2-1/2 (600 mL) cups of water. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes.

Place both lids on the base so that the holes of the lids are positioned perpendicular to each other.

Set the donabe over medium-high heat. Once the steam starts puffing from the lid (11 to 13 minutes after you turn on the heat), allow the rice to cook an additional 2 minutes. If you like to have a nice crust on the bottom of the rice, extend the cooking time by another minute. After a couple of tries, you will know the best heat level for cooking rice on your stove; then you can just set a timer for 13 to 15 minutes and don’t need to watch it for signs of steam.

Turn off the heat and let it rest undisturbed for 20 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice.

If you do not have a double-lid rice cooker, you can still make rice in a classic-style donabe. After soaking the rice, cover with the lid and start with medium-high heat, bringing it to a boil, which will take about 7 to 8 minutes Turn down the heat to low and cook for 7 to 10 minutes longer, or until the water has mostly been absorbed (you can quickly open the lid to check, if necessary). When the water is absorbed and the rice is ready to rest, you will hear a subtle crackling sound inside (you need to bring your ear right up to the donabe—be careful not to burn yourself). Turn off the heat and let it rest undisturbed for 15 to 20 minutes. The cooking time is based on 3 rice cups (2-1/4 cups / 540 ml) short-grain rice. The timing may vary depending on the amount of rice being cooked.