Smoked hairy crab with brown rice and salmon roe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup houjicha green tea leaves
• 1 Hokkaido hairy crab
• ½ tsp rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup salmon roe
• 1 tsp light soy sauce, plus extra to season
• 1 tsp dried shiso or dried basil

Cooked brown rice (see note)

• 2 cups brown short-grain Japanese rice
• 3 cups (750 ml) water

Simmered hijiki seaweed

• 3 g dried hijiki seaweed
• 100 ml kombu dashi stock
• 5 ml light soy sauce

Soaking time overnight

You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead.

Instructions

To make the cooked brown rice, wash the rice well. Soak in the water overnight, then cook according to the packet directions for regular white rice.

Meanwhile, to make the simmered hijiki seaweed, soak the dry seaweed in plenty of water, until reconstituted. Mix together the dashi stock and soy sauce. Add the seaweed and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is evaporated. Allow to cool.

To cook the crab, line a wok or saucepan with foil and add the tea leaves. Heat over high until the leaves begin to steam. Turn off the heat and place a rack over the smoking leaves. Place the crab on the rack and cover with a lid or bowl. Smoke the crab for 10 minutes, then pick the meat from the shell.

Scoop the tomalley (soft, green substance) from the crab’s head and mix with the vinegar.

Dress the salmon roe with the soy sauce. Mix the simmered hijiki seaweed with enough brown rice to taste, and season with additional soy sauce.

To serve, place a small mound of the hijiki rice on a plate, top with the picked crab and dress with the vinegared tomalley. Add the dressed salmon roe on top and sprinkle with the dried shiso.

Note• You will not need the entire quantity of rice in this recipe – it does make extra so you can combine it according to taste.