Hayashi Rice

Hayashi rice is a beloved Japanese yoshoku classic: tender beef and mushrooms simmered in a rich, savoury demi-glace sauce and spooned over rice. It is warming, deeply flavoured and a perfect family dinner for a chilly evening.

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Servings

4 servings

Calories

590

Ingredients

• 500 g thinly sliced beef
• 200 g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 400 ml beef stock
• 3 tablespoons demi-glace sauce (or brown sauce)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon red wine (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 600 g cooked rice, to serve
• Chopped parsley, to serve

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a deep pan and brown the beef in batches, then set it aside.
2. Cook the onion and mushrooms in the same pan until soft and golden.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste.
4. Pour in the beef stock and red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the base.
5. Stir in the demi-glace sauce, Worcestershire sauce and sugar, then return the beef to the pan.
6. Simmer gently for 30 minutes until the sauce is rich and glossy, then season to taste.
7. Serve over steaming rice with a scattering of chopped parsley.

Pro tips

• Browning the beef well is the key to a deep, rich sauce.
• A spoon of demi-glace from a jar is a fine shortcut for weeknights.
• If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of stock.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day.

Frequently asked questions