This Japanese corn rice is made with fresh summer corn and rice seasoned with soy sauce and generous amount of butter. The rich taste of butter and burnt soy sauce brings out the familiar flavor of Japanese street food.It’s one of our favorite summer dishes.
Gather all the ingredients. The white rice to water ratio is 1 : 1.1 (or 1.2 ). I used my Hario donabe in this recipe, but you can use a rice cooker (same measurement, and start cooking as usual) or heavy bottomed pot (for a better heat distribution).
To Rinse the Rice
Add water just enough until it submerges all the rice. Then discard the water immediately (so the rice doesn't absorb the cloudy water). Tip: Rice absorbs water very quickly when you start rinsing, so don't let the rice absorb the first few rounds of water.
Use your fingers to gently wash the rice in a circular motion for 15-20 seconds.
Add water and discard the water. Repeat this process a couple of times until the water is clear.
When the water is almost clear, drain well. Tip: Use a fine-mesh sieve to drain and shake off excess water.
To Prepare the Corn
Peel away the outer leaves (if you have any) until you only have one thin layer of inner leaves remaining around the ear. Grasp the top of the leaves and the tassel together in one hand and pull them straight down in one firm tug, inverting the husk and the cob. Break off the leaves and the silks at the base of the ear of corn and discard them. Pick away any remaining silks (or just do your best to pick most of them). Rinse under cold running water.
Holding the cob steady, use a sharp knife and make long downward strokes on the cob, separating kernels from the cob. You can also buy this corn kernel peeler but I honestly prefer using a knife to this tool. Cut the cobs in half or smaller pieces to fit in your pot.
To Prepare Corn Rice
For 3 rice cooker cups of rice, you will need 600 ml of rice cooking liquid. In a measuring cup, add sake and soy sauce, and then add water till you have 600 ml.
Add the well-drained rice in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the rice cooking liquid (600 ml).
Add the salt and mix well. Make sure the rice is evenly flat on the surface.
Add the corn kernels on top and flatten. DO NOT MIX. Rice cooks evenly when it is not mixed with other ingredients.
Put the cobs on top of the corn and close the lid. Let the rice soak for 20-30 minutes before cooking (It's important to do so for Japanese short grain rice).
To Cook Corn Rice
Start cooking on medium-high heat to bring to a boil (it should takes about 13-15 minutes). When boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 13-15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and remove from the stove. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. Let it steam for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, open the lid and remove the cobs.
Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and add the butter on top.
Cover the lid and bring the pot to the table. Fluff the rice and serve immediately.
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1 month.