Mark's Cosy Corner

Description:
A hearty meal of Japanese garlic rice, peppered with whiskey-beef, and sauted with Homeiji mushrooms, egg tofu, scrambled eggs, diced carrots and spring onions

Ingredients:
1 to 1/1/2 cups of Japanese rice
A bunch of garlic (finely diced)
A serving of beef cubes (finely diced)
1 bunch of Japanese Homeiji mushrooms (separated into individual stalks)
1 serving of egg tofu (finely sliced)
2 eggs
1 carrot (finely diced)
5 stalks of spring onions (finely sliced)
Scotch Whiskey/Japanese Sake for marinating beef
Black pepper to taste
Shoyu (Japanese soya sauce) to taste
Cooking portions of oil


Directions:
Season the finely-diced beef cubes in whiskey/sake and black pepper for at least 1/2 hour to 1 hour.

Cook the rice. Leave to cool.

Fry the beaten eggs in hot oil. Lightly scramble. Set aside.

Fry the tofu till golden brown. Set aside.

When the beef has been marinated, quickly fry the beef in hot oil, taking extra care to ensure that it does not overcook. Sprinkle shoyu for taste and rapidly remove from the pan. Save the marinate for later.

Fry the garlic in hot oil. When half of it becomes golden brown, add the carrots and allow the ingredients to slowly simmer, reducing the fire to medium heat.

Add the mushrooms and allow the mixture to sizzle. Spoon in small amounts of the beef marinate and stir occassionally. Reduce to low heat and cover the pan.

After about half a minute, remove the lid and spoon in the rice, gently stirring it such that the mixture does not clump. Continue stirring until all the rice has been added in an even manner. Pour in the remainder of the beef marinate and add a sprinkling of shoyu for taste. Allow the liquids to dry out.

When the rice glistens nicely, add the eggs and gently mix. The spring onions can then be added. The rice should be stirred evenly so that the bottom and sides do not overcook.

Switch off the fire and spoon in the beef, mixing evenly. Sprinkle in the tofu last, ensuring that it does not break.

The rice can then be served. Best enjoyed with a small glass of sake or shochiu.