Inarizushi (Sushi in fried tofu pockets)

Serves 4-5

Rice:

2 C raw Japanese rice (In the US, I used Koshihikari)
3 T apple cider vinegar
2½ T sugar
¼ t salt

1-2 T sesame seeds

For abura-age preparation:

6 pieces of abura-age (thin fried tofu), cut in half to make pockets
⅔ C dashi stock
1 T sugar
2 T mirin
3 T soy sauce

pickled ginger (Amazon sells it here)

While the rice is cooking, rinse the abura-age, and then simmer, covered, in mixture of dashi stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce for about 15 minutes. Move the pieces around once or twice during cooking to be sure all get flavored. When cool, drain, and set aside.

Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt together. While lightly stirring and fluffing the cooked rice, sprinkle on the vinegar mixture. Keep fluffing and sprinkling until all is used. The rice grains should each be shiny and not clumped together.

Mix the sesame seeds into the rice.

Form the rice into little rounded rectangles just the size to fit into the pockets. Put them on a flat surface and pull the abura-age down over them, one by one. Turn them right side up. Serve with pickled ginger.