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1
Soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Meanwhile, combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sake in a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste: the seasoned dashi should be lightly savoury, the salt sitting just below the level of the dashi's own umami.
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2
Place the drained rice in the individual iron kettle. Lay the mushrooms and burdock evenly over the rice surface — do not stir. Pour the seasoned dashi over the toppings and rice. The liquid should reach just to the level of the ingredients; it must not flood them. This is where the dish lives or dies: excess liquid produces a sodden, undifferentiated mass; too little leaves the upper grains raw. The correct volume is absorbed, not pooled.
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3
Set the lid firmly on the kettle. Place over a medium flame. Do not remove the lid at any point during cooking. Cook until vigorous steam escapes from the lid vent and a steady rhythmic bubbling is audible from within the kettle — the sound is consistent and full.
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4
Reduce the flame to low and continue cooking until the bubbling quietens and the steam release slows — approximately 8–10 minutes from this point. The escaping steam will carry a clean, dashi-infused grain fragrance with no trace of raw starch.
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5
To form the okoge: once the sizzling has quietened, turn the heat to high for 30–45 seconds. A dry, nutty, caramelised aroma will rise from the base of the kettle — not acrid, not burnt. Remove from the flame immediately when that caramelised note is distinct.
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6
Remove the kettle from heat. Keep the lid sealed and rest for 10 minutes without disturbance. Steam redistribution during this rest completes the cooking of the upper rice layers and creates cohesion throughout the kettle. Lift the lid at the table: a cloud of fragrant steam should rise freely. The top grains will be distinct, fully cooked and glossy. The base, when reached with a spoon, will yield a firm, caramelised crust — the okoge — that separates cleanly from the iron.