For the rice: wash the rice under cold running water two to three times, then soak it in boiling water for 20 minutes. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and suspend a fine metal sieve over the pan. Line the sieve with a clean kitchen cloth and pour in the soaked, drained rice. Make a crater in the centre to even out the thickness, then sprinkle over the salt. Fold over the cloth, cover with a lid and steam over a medium heat for 20 minutes, checking the water level so it doesn’t boil dry. For the seasoned soy sauce: heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the spring onion and ginger and sauté until caramelised. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Once cooled, strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a jar and discard the solids. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. For the steak: season the steak generously on both sides with salt and pepper, then rub with vegetable oil. For a medium-rare steak, heat a frying pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the steak and cook for 2 minutes to form a crust. Flip, add the butter and baste the steak as it cooks for a further 2 minutes. Adjust the timings to suit your preference. Remove the steak from the pan onto a piece of foil large enough to wrap around it. Pour over the buttery pan juices, then wrap loosely and leave to rest while you prepare the rice. For the mushroom rice: heat the same frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the butter, along with the garlic and mushrooms (chop if necessary). Cook until softened, then season with salt. Add the cooked glutinous rice and mix well to combine. Using a silicone spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, level and gently press down the rice to compress it slightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to heat through and form a light, crisp crust. Meanwhile, slice the steak into 1cm-thick pieces, reserving the resting juices from the foil. To serve: gently loosen the rice and divide it between two medium-size bowls. Drizzle over the seasoned soy sauce, arrange the steak slices on top and pour over the buttery meat juices. Finish with soy-cured egg yolks, if you like.

The best places to eat, stay, shop and visit in the South West

Buttered steak and mushroom rice bowl

Q: You will need

For the sushi rice Glutinous rice 230g Sea salt 1/4 tsp For the seasoned soy sauce Vegetable oil 2 tbsp Spring onion 1 Ginger thumb-sized piece, peeled and sliced Light soy sauce 2 1/2 tbsp Dark soy sauce 2 tsp Oyster sauce 1 tsp Granulated white sugar 5 tsp MSG 1/2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine 1 tbsp Water 90ml For the steak Rump or ribeye steak 250g Vegetable oil 1 tbsp For the mushroom rice Salted butter 2 tsp Garlic clove, 1, peeled and finely chopped Woodland or wild mushrooms 150g To serve Seasoned soy sauce 3 tbsp Salt and ground pepper 1/2 tsp Soy-cured egg yolks 2, find the recipe here

An elevated weeknight meal

Ping Coombes, Masterchef winner and Wiltshire cookery school owner, shares a recipe for buttered steak inspired by her travels to Japan

pingcoombes.com

Recipe shared from Ping Coombes’ new book Rice.

Serves 2

You will need

For the sushi rice

Glutinous rice 230g

Sea salt 1/4 tsp

For the seasoned soy sauce

Vegetable oil 2 tbsp

Spring onion 1

Ginger thumb-sized piece, peeled and sliced

Light soy sauce 2 1/2 tbsp

Dark soy sauce 2 tsp

Oyster sauce 1 tsp

Granulated white sugar 5 tsp

MSG 1/2 tsp

Shaoxing rice wine 1 tbsp

Water 90ml

For the steak

Rump or ribeye steak 250g

Vegetable oil 1 tbsp

For the mushroom rice

Salted butter 2 tsp

Garlic clove, 1, peeled and finely chopped

Woodland or wild mushrooms 150g

To serve

Seasoned soy sauce 3 tbsp

Salt and ground pepper 1/2 tsp

Soy-cured egg yolks 2, find the recipe here

Method

For the rice: wash the rice under cold running water two to three times, then soak it in boiling water for 20 minutes. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and suspend a fine metal sieve over the pan. Line the sieve with a clean kitchen cloth and pour in the soaked, drained rice. Make a crater in the centre to even out the thickness, then sprinkle over the salt. Fold over the cloth, cover with a lid and steam over a medium heat for 20 minutes, checking the water level so it doesn’t boil dry.
For the seasoned soy sauce: heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the spring onion and ginger and sauté until caramelised. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Once cooled, strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a jar and discard the solids. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
For the steak: season the steak generously on both sides with salt and pepper, then rub with vegetable oil.
For a medium-rare steak, heat a frying pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the steak and cook for 2 minutes to form a crust. Flip, add the butter and baste the steak as it cooks for a further 2 minutes. Adjust the timings to suit your preference.
Remove the steak from the pan onto a piece of foil large enough to wrap around it. Pour over the buttery pan juices, then wrap loosely and leave to rest while you prepare the rice.
For the mushroom rice: heat the same frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the butter, along with the garlic and mushrooms (chop if necessary). Cook until softened, then season with salt. Add the cooked glutinous rice and mix well to combine.
Using a silicone spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, level and gently press down the rice to compress it slightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to heat through and form a light, crisp crust.
Meanwhile, slice the steak into 1cm-thick pieces, reserving the resting juices from the foil.
To serve: gently loosen the rice and divide it between two medium-size bowls. Drizzle over the seasoned soy sauce, arrange the steak slices on top and pour over the buttery meat juices. Finish with soy-cured egg yolks, if you like.