Springtime Sushi Nests

Ingredients

• 6  asparagus trimmed cut into 1 3/4-inch pieces
• 0.5 cup bamboo skewers canned sliced cut into matchstick-size strips
• 6  boston lettuce leaves 
• 1  carrots peeled cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1 cup dashi granules 
• 2 large shiitake mushrooms dried hot trimmed drained thinly sliced
• 1 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce reduced-sodium
• 4 teaspoons rice wine sweet ( Japanese rice wine)
• 0.3 cup pickled ginger shredded red (beni shoga)
• 1 pinch salt 
• 12 large shrimp cooked peeled
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 6 servings sushi rice 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• sauce pan
• whisk
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Combine 1 cup Dashi, sugar and 3 teaspoons mirin in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium-low heat.
2. Add carrot strips; cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrot strips to bowl.
3. Add bamboo shoots, mushrooms and soy sauce to cooking liquid. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
4. Add carrot strips. Cool mixture completely.
5. Whisk egg, salt and 1 teaspoon mirin in small bowl to blend. Spray 9-inch-diameter nonstick skillet with nonstick spray.
6. Heat skillet over medium-low heat.
7. Pour egg mixture into skillet, swirling skillet to coat bottom evenly. Cook until bottom of egg mixture is set but not brown, about 45 seconds. Turn egg pancake over. Cook until egg pancake is set on bottom, about 20 seconds.
8. Transfer to paper towel. Cool completely.
9. Roll up egg pancake, then cut crosswise into very thin strips. Toss with fingers to fluff egg strips.
10. Cook asparagus in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
11. Drain. Cool asparagus in bowl of ice water.
12. Drain well.
13. Toss Sushi Rice, carrot mixture and asparagus in large bowl. (Egg strips and rice mixture can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover separately and let stand at cool room temperature. Do not refrigerate.)
14. Line 6 bowls with lettuce leaves. Spoon rice mixture into leaves, mounding slightly.
15. Garnish rice with egg strips, shrimp and pickled ginger and serve.