(For CasaBento's "Via Col Bento" contest.)
Shimagoma (シマゴマ), bento-style! (・(工)・)
This cute bento featuring a calamari steak in Shimagoma's likeness is best eaten when warm (because it features fried fish), but if you prefer to eat it cold, you can cook and decorate it differently than the recipe calls for(example: pan-searing it) and make a different Mamegoma!
Since I happen to like my calamari steaks pan-fried with panko (bread crumbs), I made my bento into a Shimagoma bento.
By now I figure you've had enough of my rambling, so I'll get on with the show already! It's cooking with StarryDream time!
The items you'll need to make the Shimagoma bento (or most of the basics for a different Mamegoma bento) are:
Peanut oil
Panko (can be bought at most local grocery stores)
Calamari steak (usually found at organic food stores like Whole Foods, or your local fish market)
Nori (seaweed)
Blue food coloring (for the rice "fish bowl")
Rice
Various fruits and vegetables
Lettuce (listed separately because you will need more lettuce than other vegetables)
Ketchup
Peanut sauce
Container for serving/storage
Food picks (optional)
Let's walk through the process of making Shimagoma--
1. Prepare a pan with peanut oil by adding a small amount (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan).
2. In a bowl, crack open an egg, adding a bit of water and stirring/whisking the entire egg, yolk and all (but no shell of course!)
3. Pour the panko onto a plate. You don't need a lot, just enough to cover the calamari steak (don't cover it yet though!)
4. Wash off the calamari steak with water. This is to remove any unwanted...err, stuff...and keep you healthy.
5. Dunk the calamari steak in the egg. Don't make it too wet, because the purpose of this is to get the panko to stick to it.
6. Flip the calamari steak back and forth in the panko. Make sure that you cover the calamari completely in panko!
7. Drop the calamari steak into the pan of hot peanut oil.
8. Flip the calamari steak to the uncooked side after the first side turns golden brown. (I didn't give a specific time because cooking time depends on a number of elements here, such as fish size, etc.)
9. Cut your steak into Shimagoma's likeness (or whichever Mamegoma you'd like!). If you notice that the sides aren't brown, it's okay, don't worry! This can be hidden by other elements of the bento.
Taa-daa! You made Shimagoma~ If you want, you can continue with the guide, or feel free to make your own variation of my bento.
10. Prepare the rice (I won't mention how to make rice here...it's a fairly simple task and there are a ton of ways to do it, so...).
11. Mix the rice with blue food coloring for your Mamegoma's "fish bowl."
12. Add the blue rice to the bento container and shape it like a fish bowl.
13. Put your Mamegoma on top of the rice.
14. Cut out a nori face for your Mamegoma and give him some other details like spots, etc. I gave Shimagoma stripes (peanut sauce) and blush (ketchup).
15. Add fruits and veggies in the empty spaces. Use the lettuce as coral.
16. You're done! Decorate with food picks, etc. Enjoy your masterpiece (I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing...how bittersweet...)!
