A delightful blend of warm and cool ingredients characterizes this rice dish, which combines buttery rice with a chilled cucumber sauce, tangy pickles, and soft-centered eggs. The juxtaposition of hot and cold elements creates a meal that is both refreshing and comforting, making it an ideal choice for a quick summer lunch or a simple weeknight dinner.
To create this dish, you’ll need a few key ingredients. For the rice and eggs, gather 200g of Japanese short-grain rice, two medium eggs, 40g of soft salted butter, three finely sliced spring onions, and season with salt and black pepper. The pickled cucumbers require 200g of baby cucumbers sliced into rounds, a teaspoon of flaky sea salt, three tablespoons of caster sugar, 75ml of white-wine vinegar, a tablespoon of olive oil, a small handful of chopped fresh dill, and half a teaspoon of dried mint. To make the cucumber sauce, use one large peeled and deseeded cucumber, 100g of crème fraîche, a generous pinch of flaky salt, one garlic clove, and an ice cube.
Start by preparing the pickles. Toss the sliced cucumbers with salt in a heatproof bowl. In another bowl, mix 75ml of freshly boiled water with sugar and white-wine vinegar, and pour this over the cucumbers, letting them pickle as you continue with the rest of the preparation. The rice should be rinsed thoroughly under cold water until clear, then drained. Cook the rice using a rice cooker or a saucepan with 250ml of cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to the lowest setting, cover, and cook for about eight minutes. Let it sit covered for another ten minutes off the heat.
For the cucumber sauce, blend the peeled and deseeded cucumber with crème fraîche, salt, and garlic until smooth. Keep it cold in the refrigerator with an ice cube. Meanwhile, boil a saucepan of water and cook the eggs for seven minutes. Rinse them under cold water immediately after boiling, then peel them carefully. Drain the pickled cucumbers and mix them with olive oil, dill, and dried mint.
To serve, divide the warm rice between two bowls, placing soft butter pieces to melt over the top. Spoon the chilled cucumber sauce around the rice and add the pickled cucumbers. Halve the peeled eggs and place them on top, finishing with sliced spring onions and a generous seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper. This dish is best enjoyed immediately, allowing the warm rice and eggs to contrast with the chilled sauce and crisp pickles, offering a light, flavorful, and satisfying meal without the need for complex cooking techniques.