So, I decided for Nick's birthday (actually 4 days after his birthday) i would take a crack at making some sushi. After the trial run, which I just finished eating, I am confident things are going to go pretty well. I have had a bunch of people curious about the method and so I figured I'd go ahead and post my recipes.
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
Sticky Rice
2 1/4 C short grain glutinous white rice (aka Sushi Rice)
3 C water
1/4 C white sugar
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1. Prepare Rice: Put rice into a large bowl and cover with water. Rub the rice between your hands until the water turns a milky color. Drain rice and repeat this 4-6 times until you can see the rice through 3" of water.
2. Soak Rice: After draining rice, put it into a sauce pan and add 3 C of cool water. Allow rice to soak for 30 minutes.
3. Mix Ingredients: While rice is soaking, combine sugar, salt and vinegar in a bowl and stir until all the dry ingredients are dissolved. Set aside.
4. Cook Rice: After 30 min, cover rice and turn heat to high. Once the water starts to boil, reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove rice from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Mix Rice: Scrape cooked rice into a large mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Mix until the mixture is evenly distributed.
6. Cool Rice: Allow rice to cool to room temp and then use it as a side dish or in a sushi roll.
**Make sure you wet your hands before handling this rice, they don't call it sticky rice for nothing.
THE SAUCE:
Spicy Mayo
1/2 C Mayo (the real stuff or Kewpie mayo if you can get ahold of it)
2 T Habenero Sauce
VARIOUS ROLLS
Philadelphia Roll (1 roll)
8" lengths of 1/4" square cream cheese
2 ounces Lox (smoked salmon)
8" length of 1/4" square cucumber
Toasted Nori (sushi grade seaweed) sheets
1/2 cup Sushi rice
1. Prepare Nori Sheet: First place one full sheet of sushi nori on your bamboo mat, shiny side down. If you don't have a bamboo mat you can use a piece of waxed paper.
2. Cover Lightly With Sushi Rice: Lightly cover the nori sheet with your prepared sushi rice - leaving the remaining inch and a half of nori bare lengthwise away from you.
3. Place Toppings Lengthwise: Place your toppings lengthwise at center of your rice.
4. Start Rolling: Fold your mat over, centering your ingredients with respect to your rice sheet to the far edge of your rice. With even pressure, tighten your roll by pressing and pulling on your mat. Make sure your roll is tight or it will fall apart.
5. Slice & Serve: Slice your Philadelphia Roll into eight pieces. And that's it — the perfect Philly Roll!
**When you slice the rolls be sure to dip the knife in cold water between each slice to keep rice from sticking to the knife.
Spicy Tuna Roll (4-6 rolls)
4-6 Nori Sheets
Prepared sushi rice
Tuna Mixture
1/2 Lb Sashimi grade tuna
1 T Mayo
1/2 T Habenero sauce
1. Prepare Tuna: Chop tuna until you have an almost paste like, even consistency.
2. Mix Filling: Mix tuna, mayo and habenero until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Roll Sushi: Follow the same instructions as the Philly Roll.
Kani Salad
Shredded imitation crab meat
1 cucumber, peeled and seeds removed julienned into 1/8"x2" strips
1 or 2 tsp mayo (to taste)
1/2 tsp Habenero sauce (to taste)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve.
Well, that's what I have for now. Once you get the rice cooked correctly and the rolling technique down the rest is easy. You can put whatever you want in the sushi. We are also going make some California rolls so Mason can have some too. Avocado, crab and cucumber.
You can also roll these inside out (rice on the outside) by flipping the rice covered nori sheet before placing the filling in the roll.
