Chirashi Sushi Or Chirashizushi - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sushi rice or 2 1/2 cups japanese rice
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 dried shiitake mushrooms (to be rehydrated in 2 cups warm water)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 carrot, julienned
1 cucumber, julienned
1/2 lb sashimi grade fatty fish fillet, sliced (Kampachi, salmon, cobia, hamachi)
2 ounces imitation crabmeat, shredded
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

Preparation

Wash the rice in a large bowl. Keep on washing it until the water comes out almost clear. Drain the rice and set aside for half an hour. In the rice cooker, add about 2 1/3 cup of water and the rice. Let the rice soak in the water for another half an hour and then start cook until done.
In the meantime, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a sauce pan. Cook on low heat and heat until the sugar dissolves and then let it cool . Spread the rice (while it still hot) into a plate or a bowl and sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice. Using a rice spatula or a spoon, fold the rice quickly. (the amount is to taste, but use very generously.)
Rehydrated the shiitaki mushrooms in 2 cups of warm water and reserve the water for cooking. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and slice them thinly.
Heat 2/3 cup of the reserved mushroom water. Add the sliced shiitake, soy sauce and sugar; simmer on low heat until the liquid is evaporated. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat the eggs and add 1/2 tablespoon sugar. In an oiled skillet, pour a scoop of egg mixture to make a small crepe-like omelette. Repeat to make a few more until mixture is entirely used. Cut cooked egg into strips.
Serve the sushi rice using individual bowls and scatter the remaining toppings on top, covering the rice: the sliced shiitake mushrooms, the carrot and cucumber, the imitation crab meat, egg strips and sesame seeds.