Zosui

Zosui is a gentle Japanese rice porridge made by simmering pre-cooked rice in a seasoned broth until it blooms and thickens. Unlike Chinese congee, zosui uses broth — often leftover from a nabe hotpot — rather than water, giving it a deeply layered flavour. It is eaten as a nourishing finish to a meal or as restorative food during cold weather or illness.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 600g (1 lb 5 oz) cooked short-grain rice
• 1 litre (4¼ cups) dashi (preferably from kombu and katsuobushi)
• 2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (15ml) mirin
• ½ tsp (3g) salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 100g (3½ oz) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 30g (1 oz) mitsuba or flat-leaf parsley, roughly torn
• Shichimi togarashi (seven-spice blend), for serving

Instructions

1. Rinse the cooked rice in cold water briefly to remove excess starch, then drain well. This keeps the zosui fluid rather than gluey.
2. Bring dashi to a gentle simmer in a wide pot. Add soy sauce, mirin, and salt. Add mushrooms and simmer 3 minutes until tender.
3. Add the rinsed rice. Stir gently and cook over medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice grains swell and the porridge reaches a loose, flowing consistency.
4. Drizzle the beaten egg in a thin stream around the pot while stirring slowly in one direction to create silky ribbons. Do not over-stir. Cover and cook off the heat for 1 minute.
5. Ladle into bowls. Top with spring onion and mitsuba. Serve with shichimi togarashi on the side.

Cook's Notes: The quality of the dashi is everything here — a proper kombu and katsuobushi stock makes the zosui taste luxurious. You can add leftover chicken, tofu, or clams in step 3 for a more substantial meal. Adjust consistency with extra dashi if it thickens on standing.