Tender Octopus Rice Bowl: A Springtime Delight
How to Make Octopus Rice Bowl with Savory Sauce, Staub Pot Rice Recipe for 4 Servings, Preparing Boiled Octopus, Cooked Octopus Dish
Octopus is widely known as a low-calorie, nourishing food, rich in taurine, protein, iron, and DHA, making it an excellent ingredient for growing children. For a balanced and nutritious meal, I’ve chosen to make Octopus Rice Bowl with this 4-serving recipe! Imagine a bowl of freshly steamed rice, topped with a pat of butter and sprinkled with chopped wild chives (dalrae) – it’s a springtime fragrance-filled delight! Mixed with the savory sauce, each spoonful of this Octopus Rice Bowl is simply heavenly. Nowadays, pre-cooked octopus is easily available, allowing you to conveniently prepare delicious octopus dishes at home without the hassle of boiling it yourself. I also used easily prepared boiled octopus to make my Octopus Rice Bowl! This recipe is for 4 servings and was made using a Staub pot. The method for cooking rice in a cast-iron pot is quite consistent, regardless of the ingredients, so once you learn the basic technique, it’s very useful. The water-to-rice ratio is 1:1. By carefully managing the cooking time and heat, you can achieve perfectly cooked, glossy rice without any burnt bits at the bottom. 🙂
Ingredients
- Rice 350g
- Water 350ml
- Cooked Octopus 250g
- Wild Chives (Dalrae) a small bunch
- Butter 1 piece
Sauce
- Minced Garlic 1/2 Tbsp
- Soy Sauce 4 Tbsp
- Mirin (Cooking Wine) 2 Tbsp
- Sugar 1/3 Tbsp
- Sesame Oil 1 Tbsp
- Sesame Seeds (crushed) 1 Tbsp
- Minced Garlic 1/2 Tbsp
- Soy Sauce 4 Tbsp
- Mirin (Cooking Wine) 2 Tbsp
- Sugar 1/3 Tbsp
- Sesame Oil 1 Tbsp
- Sesame Seeds (crushed) 1 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare 350g of rice. Rinse the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear, then soak it in water for about 30 minutes. Soaking the rice helps it cook more evenly. While the rice is soaking, you can prepare the other ingredients. 🙂
Step 2
Rinse the pre-cooked octopus under running water. We will place the octopus whole on top of the rice, so no need to cut it at this stage. Just make sure it’s clean.
Step 3
Wash the wild chives (dalrae) thoroughly to remove any dirt. Trim the root ends and chop them into small, bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Adjust the amount according to your preference. 🙂
Step 4
Let’s make the savory sauce! In a small bowl, combine 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic, 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, 1/3 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp crushed sesame seeds. Mix well with a spoon until everything is evenly incorporated. 🙂
Step 5
After 30 minutes of soaking, drain the water completely from the rice. Spread the drained rice evenly in your pot (like a Staub pot).
Step 6
Pour 350ml of water over the rice. Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to high to bring the water to a boil. 🙂
Step 7
Once the water starts to boil vigorously, gently stir the rice with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the rice grains.
Step 8
When the water level has reduced and the rice grains start to look translucent, the rice is almost ready for the octopus.
Step 9
Now, carefully place the whole pre-cooked octopus on top of the rice. The tender texture of the octopus will perfectly complement the rice. 🙂
Step 10
Cover the pot tightly with the lid and reduce the heat to low. Let the rice cook for 15 minutes on low heat. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat completely and let the rice steam with the lid on for another 5 minutes. This steaming process will make the rice fluffy and perfectly cooked. 🙂
Step 11
After the 5-minute steaming period, lift the lid. You should see beautifully steamed, glossy rice.
Step 12
Finally, garnish the Octopus Rice Bowl with the chopped wild chives and a piece of butter. Arrange them nicely on top. Now, it’s time to enjoy your delicious Octopus Rice Bowl! 🙂
