Ryuji's "Ultimate Bamboo Shoot Rice": Seared Bamboo Shoots Cooked with Rice in a Frying Pan

The advantages Ryuji listed are that it takes less time than cooking in a clay pot (under an hour), it requires little effort, and it tastes good. Ryuji says they have gotten quite good at cooking rice in a frying pan lately.

When the staff member said it looked "kind of like paella," Ryuji replied that it is "takikomi gohan" (Japanese mixed rice). Calling it paella, Ryuji said, would get them "bashed to death." Ryuji describes the dish as a "hybrid" of Western-style pilaf and Japanese mixed rice.

There are just two ingredients: bamboo shoots and bacon. Instead of bacon, Ryuji said, any meat will do, such as leftover chicken or pork.

Before getting into the main topic, Ryuji mentioned a recent realization: videos with shorter intros get more views. True to those words, the cooking starts right away this time.

For searing, Ryuji used a new product that blends rice bran oil and soybean oil. Because it is a blend of rice and soybean oil, it is cheaper than pure rice bran oil.

Boiled, packaged bamboo shoots are fine. When the staff member asked what people who have been given freshly harvested bamboo shoots should do, Ryuji answered that they should prepare them first and then use them. Ryuji, however, rarely uses anything other than the boiled kind. Fresh bamboo shoots do show up in supermarkets, but preparing them is a hassle. Ryuji also said they doubt that using fresh ones makes bamboo shoot rice dramatically better. The boiled kind also has the advantage of letting you make this year-round.

Cut one pack of boiled bamboo shoots into about six wedges. Bamboo shoot rice usually uses finely chopped bamboo shoots, but this time they are cut into large, "chunky" pieces.

About 60–70 g of block bacon is used. When the staff member asked whether Ryuji had gotten into block bacon lately, Ryuji explained the situation: the staff member, the person Ryuji feeds most often, prefers block bacon, so Ryuji simply switched.

Ryuji personally prefers thin bacon, since Ryuji doesn't look for a chunky texture in bacon and thinks of it as more of a seasoning. The staff member likes block bacon because it feels like a proper ingredient. In response, Ryuji said that cooking to suit the person eating will "obviously" earn a better reception.

Heat about half a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, arrange the bamboo shoot wedges, and season them with salt. Brown them while letting them soak up the oil. Ryuji repeatedly called this "important," since there aren't many mixed-rice dishes that use browned bamboo shoots. The bacon is then seared as well. The staff member described this step as "not something you'd ever expect when making bamboo shoot rice." Ryuji said they were moved the first time they made it, too.

Bamboo shoot season has already passed. Ryuji revealed they had considered holding the video until next year, but it was so good that they wanted to release it this year and hurried to film it. The staff member said vegetable videos are good because many people struggle with how to get their vegetables. Ryuji also stressed that bamboo shoots are the star of this dish and that you get to eat plenty of them.

Once seared, take the ingredients out of the pan for now. You could leave them in and add the rice, but arranging them on top at the end looks nicer. The rice goes straight into the remaining oil.

This time, the rice is not washed. Ryuji's reasoning: paella and pilaf are made without washing the rice, and so is risotto, which the staff member brought up. Since those work as dishes, not washing isn't unsanitary. You can just skip one step.

If it bothers you, you can wash it, Ryuji added, but in that case the rice will hold some water, so use a little less water. Ryuji thinks cooking without washing gives very distinct grains, which has its own appeal.

During cooking, the staff member pointed out the notes at Ryuji's side. People apparently sometimes say Ryuji "must be cooking while looking at a recipe site," but the notes are drafts of Ryuji's own dishes.

225 g of rice (1.5 go) and 500 cc of water. To this, add 1 teaspoon of Hondashi and 1 teaspoon of Hondashi Kombu Dashi. Using only bonito would make it "taste like Hondashi," so Ryuji recommends a blended stock with half kombu dashi.

The staff member noted that it was unusual for there to be no garlic. Ryuji replied that adding it would make it taste like garlic. Since the bamboo shoots are the star, it's left out. Ryuji explained this as "subtraction."

2 teaspoons of soy sauce. No mirin or sake. Ryuji's reason is that the Hondashi makes adding mirin and the like unnecessary. That also keeps it easy. Because the rice is cooked unwashed, the result is a slightly fluffy, separate-grained mixed rice.

Bring it to a boil once, then lower to medium heat. While it's bubbling, neatly arrange the reserved bamboo shoots in a radial pattern. Place the bacon around them. The staff member compared the look to rice "served as the finishing dish at a slightly upscale izakaya." Ryuji also said it's convenient because you can serve something that looks clay-pot-cooked right in the frying pan.

The bacon is the Western element, nudging the dish toward pilaf. According to Ryuji, bamboo shoots alone taste plain, so some meatiness helps. With the bacon, the rice becomes a main dish that's delicious even without anything else on the side.

Ryuji explained that you cover it and cook on medium heat for 16 minutes, which is "about 7" on Ryuji's home stove. In the actual shoot, though, it ended up cooking for 18 minutes.

While the rice cooked, they discussed what to pair with it, and the staff member suggested shiitake. Ryuji said the tasty options are searing them in lard or in beef tallow, and chose beef tallow this time.

Ryuji calls this "WAGYUMAFIA-yaki." Referring to WAGYUMAFIA having been in the news a while back (adding, "It wasn't me who got flamed"), Ryuji said the one dish that impressed them there was the shiitake. Ryuji's guess is that it was probably seared in beef fat. When the staff member suggested that teppanyaki restaurants' shiitake might be done that way too, Ryuji agreed.

Ryuji also explained that the reason shiitake skewers at yakitori shops are "ridiculously good" is that they're brushed with oil. In Ryuji's view, oil is what makes vegetables delicious.

As for beef tallow, many supermarkets in the Kanto region hand it out for free. Elsewhere, such as in Kansai, some stores sell it for about 10 yen or only give it out if you buy meat. Ryuji mentioned that a supermarket that didn't give tallow away for free once got flamed online.

Here's how to make it. Put beef tallow in a small frying pan and sear one pack of shiitake over medium heat, letting them soak up the fat. Getting them to absorb the fat is the key; if they don't, they won't taste good. They're done when the shiitake "sweat" and turn glossy all over. Turn off the heat and sprinkle Aji-Shio on both sides. Regular salt works too, but WAGYUMAFIA uses a salt containing shiitake, so Ryuji says a salt with umami makes it even better.

Ryuji said they plan to post dishes like the tallow-seared shiitake, which aren't worth turning into a full recipe, on the sub channel (Ryuji's Buzz Recipe Side Dishes) "without rushing through them." That way, people can find them when searching for shiitake or in the app.

According to the staff member, the sub channel also features dishes that don't appear in thumbnails. The chatter is cut there, so it's easier to watch while cooking. There was apparently a comment asking "Aren't there any videos without the staff member's voice?", and the two recommended the sub channel to such viewers. Its subscriber count has been growing lately, too.

The staff member said they actually don't want to talk. They only do because Ryuji asks them to. Ryuji explained that many viewers want the kind of banter that might look like idle chatter.

While waiting for the rice, Ryuji mentioned that the bamboo shoots were expensive. The nearby supermarket had no Chinese ones, and the domestic boiled ones cost about 400 yen. Ryuji told viewers that cheap Chinese ones are perfectly fine.

When the lid came off after 18 minutes, the bamboo shoots had seared marks and the color of soy sauce. For a careful finish, brushing away a bit of the rice covering the bamboo shoots makes it look nicer. Ryuji says the texture is slightly firm, like rice cooked in a traditional pot.

For the thumbnail shot, the bamboo shoots were lightly torched to emphasize the char. Ryuji laughed and called this "a YouTuber trick," adding that people without a torch can skip it.

To make a crust, heat it uncovered over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. A crackling sound means the crust is forming; if the sound continues for a little while, it will brown.

The staff member shared a fan's comment saying they couldn't get a good crust on paella. Ryuji's answer: "Do it over and over." You just have to get a feel for it. You can't see the bottom, but if you're worried, you can lift a bit to check. When they actually lifted it, it needed a little more time.

To finish, top with butter (15 g in the recipe in the description) and drizzle on a little soy sauce. Cutting the bamboo shoots with kitchen scissors makes them easier to eat. It makes a strong visual impression at first, but once mixed it's nicely combined. It's a generous 2 servings, though the staff member said it could feed 2 to 3.

The shiitake seared in beef tallow, eaten first, had both of them repeating that it was "unbelievably good." They were surprised that just beef tallow and Aji-Shio could make it this delicious. Ryuji said that despite being supermarket shiitake, they "taste like shiitake from a fancy place."

The staff member loves shiitake so much that they go shiitake picking in Hakone. Ryuji recommended they cook them this way the next time they go. The plate was empty in no time.

The staff member called the main dish, the bamboo shoot rice, "perfect." The rice isn't too hard but has a little bite, which is just right. The bamboo shoots haven't gone mushy either. Ryuji said a rice cooker can't bring out this quality in the rice.

According to Ryuji, ordinary bamboo shoot rice is never the star and always needs something on the side. This rice, by contrast, has "the flavor of a main dish" and stands on its own. Ryuji also listed as advantages that the toasty aroma of the crust can only come from cooking it this way, and that households without a rice cooker can make it in a frying pan. The staff member said bamboo shoots are usually cooked Japanese-style, but this is a flavor kids would probably like too.

The two talked about how bamboo shoot videos tend not to get many views. The staff member named the "Bamboo Shoot Steak" released around last year as their top pick, and said it made them feel that being delicious doesn't mean a video will take off. Ryuji was also puzzled about why it didn't do well when it was truly delicious, and urged anyone who hasn't seen it to make it.

The staff member speculated that another reason might be that when people hear "bamboo shoot dishes," all that comes to mind is tosani (simmered with bonito flakes), which often appears in cookbooks. Ryuji said boiled bamboo shoots have a long shelf life, so people should make it regardless of the season.

They tried two condiments to change up the flavor. One was Remosco, which the two have been into lately; the staff member described it as "Tabasco made from lemon and green chili." It added a refreshing sourness and heat, making for a nice accent.

The other was yuzu kosho. The staff member says yuzu kosho and butter go well together. Trying it, the reaction was "Hey, this works!" The two agreed that since this rice includes Western elements, it goes well with both the more Japanese yuzu kosho and the more Western Remosco.

At the end, Ryuji let slip that they should have released it in April; it ended up coming out in May. Despite saying bamboo shoots don't get views, Ryuji made it anyway because it was just too good. Ryuji said all they want is for everyone to eat something delicious.

To close, Ryuji urged viewers not to worry about the season and to go buy some boiled bamboo shoots right now and make it, saying they personally guarantee the taste.