Ochazuke by Killing Thyme

Words, photo and recipe by Dana at Killing Thyme.

Ochazuke (ocha meaning tea and zuke meaning submerged) is like nothing I’ve ever had before, and I mean that in the best way. It’s a fuss-free lazy day fave amongst the Japanese (and now me) that is typically served in an overly large bowl, because let’s face it: the bigger with some foods, the better. This is why bowl meals are trending, folks. But a large mug, cereal bowl or soup bowl will work just fine. The idea is to be able to curl up and get comfy with this bad boy, so if you have a vessel that allows you to do that, all is right in the world of Ochazuke. Common toppings include savory ingredients like salted salmon, shredded nori, wasabi, pickled vegetables, mitsuba, toasted sesame seeds and broken Japanese rice crackers for a salty crunch; it’s all about preference.

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 3 oz fillet of sustainable salmon salted
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1-2 TBSP broken/roughly chopped Japanese rice crackers
• 1 tsp shredded or thinly sliced nori dried/roasted seaweed
• 1 tsp furikake Japanese rice seasoning
• 2 TBSP strands of mitsuba trefoil, chopped; or 1 thinly sliced scallion
• Wasabi optional, for taste
• 1 cup of Arbor Teas Genmaicha, Sencha or Hojicha green tea, prepared as per instructions on package
• 1 TBSP soy sauce optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In the meantime, prepare/cook the rice.
3. Salt the salmon fillet and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare the tea and set aside.
5. Once the salmon is done, flake it with a fork to break it down into bite-sized pieces.
6. Place the rice in a large bowl and top with the salmon, your selection of savory ingredients, and brewed tea.
7. Add soy sauce to tea broth if desired.

Recipe by Dana of Killing Thyme