Bento con bistecca teriyaki

Preparazione

1. Begin by making the pickled cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Slice crossways into very thin slices.
2. Place the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and ginger into a small bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add the cucumber to the bowl and mix through to coat the slices evenly with the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
5. To prepare the baked aubergine, place the miso, mirin and sake in a large bowl and combine to form a smooth paste. Stir in the ginger and spring onions. Add the aubergine slices to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly in the sauce.
6. Grease a large roasting tray with the oil and arrange the aubergine slices in a single layer to ensure they cook evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, until soft and golden brown. If the aubergine is drying out, splash with a little water.
7. While the aubergine bakes, prepare the Japanese rice. Place the rice in a sieve and wash under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Rest the sieve on a bowl and leave to drain for at least 15 minutes.
8. Remove the aubergine from the oven and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped coriander. Set aside until ready to serve.
9. Place the rice in a saucepan and add 180ml cold water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and immediately reduce the heat to as low as possible for a further 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave for another 10 minutes without removing the lid.
10.  Meanwhile, cook the peas with a pinch of salt in plenty of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain and place the peas in a bowl of iced water.
11.  Place the spring onions, ginger, oil, rice vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt into a small bowl and mix to create a sauce. Fold the peas and sauce into the rice and allow to cool.
12.  For the steak teriyaki, place a frying pan over a high heat until really hot. Add the oil and flash fry the beef fillet for a couple of minutes. It should still be pink in the middle. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
13.  Place the mirin, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, cornflour and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously, and cook for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Leave to cool.
14.  Place 2 lettuce ‘cups’ in each bento box and fill with radishes, cucumber and onion. Season with a little more salt and pepper and place the beef slices on top. Spoon over a little of the sauce and sprinkle with the chopped coriander.
15.  Divide half of the Japanese rice between the bento boxes, refrigerating any leftovers. Remove the cucumber from the pickling solution and divide between the boxes. Add the baked aubergine and serve.