Bentolåda med omelett, köttbullar och nigiri med räka

Så här gör du

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
2. Begin by making the meatballs. Place the pork, breadcrumbs, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, 1 tsp of the sesame oil, shichimi togarashi, green onion, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well until all ingredients are combined. Meanwhile, place a large deep-sided roasting tray in the oven for 5 minutes or until hot.
3. Take a tablespoonful of the pork mixture, roll into a ball and place on a plate. Repeat until you have used all of the mixture.
4. Drizzle the groundnut oil onto the hot tray, add the meatballs and return to the oven to cook for 5 minutes.
5. While the meatballs are cooking, put the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, 1 tsp sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and honey in a bowl and stir to combine.
6. Remove the tray from the oven, add the dashi mixture and gently stir to coat the meatballs.
7. Return to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until the sauce is sticky and the meatballs are golden brown. Once cooked, set aside and allow to cool.
8. Meanwhile make the prawn nigiri. 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.
9. Place the rice in a saucepan and add 180ml cold water. Bring the pan to the boil, cover with a lid and immediately reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 10 minutes.
10.  Turn off the heat, do not remove the lid and leave for another 10 minutes. Tip 100g of the rice into a bowl and leave to cool. You will have some rice leftover which you can refrigerate and use for another dish.
11.  Prepare and arrange the prawns and wasabi around a large clean board. You will also need a small bowl of water.
12.  Run a knife down the underside of each prawn, taking care not to cut all the way through. Gently press on the top of the prawn to flatten it.
13.  Place a prawn upside down in the palm of your hand and spread a dab of wasabi paste over the underside.
14.  The rice will be very sticky, so wet your fingers in the bowl of water before taking a large pinch of rice and pressing it over the wasabi paste.
15.  Wetting your fingers again if necessary, place your index finger and ring finger either side of the rice and your middle finger on top. Press gently to form a long rectangle and around the ends to tidy them up. Repeat with the rest of the rice and prawns.
16. To make the Japanese omelette, place the mirin, soy sauce, 1 tsp of chopped chives and bonito flakes in a bowl. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.
17.  Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp groundnut oil, ensuring that the base of the pan is covered.
18.  Pour a small ladleful of the egg mixture into the pan, tilting it so it covers the bottom of the pan. Cook for a few seconds until the egg starts to set. Lift one side of the omelette using a palette knife and roll it in on itself towards one end of the pan.
19.  Leave the rolled up omelette on the far side of the pan and pour in another small ladle of egg mixture, lifting the rolled omelette up so the uncooked egg flow underneath it.
20.  When the egg has just set, roll the original omelette and the just-set one together, towards you using two palette knives or spatula. Repeat until the egg mixture is used up.
21.  Slice the rolled up omelettes into pieces and leave to cool, then set aside until ready to assemble the boxes.
22.  For the carrot and green bean salad, cook the green beans for 2 minutes in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain and place in a bowl of iced water.
23.  Place a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, stirring occasionally until toasted. Take the pan off the heat and immediately add 1 tbsp of the soy sauce, which will create a dark salty coating.
24.  Heat the groundnut oil in a small pan and add the shallots, water and sugar. Cover with a lid and cook on a very low heat for 10 minutes.
25.  Mix the remaining 3 tbsp of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, grated ginger, black pepper and wasabi paste in a bowl.
26.  When the shallots are soft and golden, add them to the soy mixture. Pour over the sesame oil and stir to combine and make a dressing.
27.  Place the green beans and carrot shavings into a bowl, add 1–2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to combine.
28.  Place the edamame bean pods in a steamer and cook for 3 minutes, or alternatively boil for 2 minutes. Drain well.
29.  To assemble the boxes, divide the edamame pods between the bento boxes, drizzle with a little soy sauce and sprinkle with sea salt.
30.  Place a row of omelette next to the edamame and sprinkle with a few chopped chives. Place a row of prawn nigiri on the other side of the omelette, with a little pickled ginger and a container of soy sauce on the side.
31.  Divide the soba noodles and meatballs between the bento boxes in small piles. Sprinkle with chopped coriander, sesame seeds and extra shichimi togarashi, Add the carrot and bean salad and garnish with the toasted seeds.