Rice bowl with tofu, ginger and smashed cucumber

Method

1. Rinse the rice in the fine sieve under cold water 3 times, rubbing it between your fingers, until the water runs almost clear; drain thoroughly. Put in the 18 cm saucepan with the 300 g water, bring to the boil over a high heat, 4–5 minutes, then cover and immediately turn the heat down as low as possible. Set a timer for 12 minutes and do not lift the lid.
2. Meanwhile, press the tofu: drain, wrap in kitchen paper and place on a plate. Cover with a second plate weighted with two tins and leave for 10 minutes. This draws out water so it will not make the rice soggy and the sauce will cling to it. Rinse the sieve. Smash each cucumber with a firm press of your palm on the flat of the knife, without crushing it to a purée. Cut into 2 cm pieces, mix with 2 g salt and leave to drain in the sieve set over a bowl.
3. Peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon and finely grate it into a heatproof glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Grate in the garlic, then finely slice the spring onions, white and green parts, reserving a pinch of greens to finish. Add 1 g salt, the toasted sesame seeds and chilli, if using. In another bowl, mix the soya sauce, black vinegar, rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Cut the pressed tofu into 2 cm cubes and season with 1 g salt.
4. When the timer sounds, the water should have disappeared and small craters formed on the surface of the rice. Open the lid, quickly place the tofu cubes and still-frozen edamame on the rice, cover immediately and leave over the lowest heat for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and rest for 10 minutes without opening: the rice's steam warms the tofu and cooks the edamame.
5. During the rest, heat the sunflower oil on its own in the small saucepan over a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. It is ready when a piece of spring onion dropped in sizzles vigorously at once; do not wait for it to smoke. Pour all the hot oil over the ginger, spring onions and sesame seeds: it should crackle and release their fragrance. Stir, then add the soya and vinegar mixture and toasted sesame oil to make the sauce.
6. Discard the liquid released by the cucumbers. Slide the tofu and edamame onto a plate, fluff the rice with a fork and divide between two large bowls. Arrange the tofu, edamame and cucumber on top, spoon over all the sauce, starting with the tofu, and scatter with the reserved spring onion greens. Serve immediately, letting everyone mix their own bowl; the sauce should coat all the rice.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.