Sushi Roll

Description
A lot of people in the West mistakenly think of Japanese sushi as "raw fish". This is most certainly NOT the case! (The classic Japanese raw fish dish - which is thin slivers of various different fish - is commonly known as "sashimi". Not sushi!)

The term "sushi" is Japenese for "vinegar rice" - which is the classic short-grained rice that, when cooked, is rather sticky - and then folded in seasoned rice-vinegar. The sushi rice is typically served with various fish and vegatable accompaniments - and in various styles. The "nigri" style is the familiar small bite-sized "boat" shaped mounds of sushi rice toppped with raw salmon, raw tuna or cooked omelette etc.

There is also the "maki" style of sushi - which is the sushi-rice rolled up in a sheet of seaweed (called "nori") along with whatever fillings (fish or vegetable and both) take your fancy - cooked or raw! These are often what you see packaged up as "sushi" in the chiller-cabinets of your local supermarket - e.g. Marks & Spencer - or in the cabinets at Pret a Manger etc. Although - most often in cases like this - the fillings are always cooked - e.g. cooked tuna - or smoked salmon etc.

There are two types of "maki" sushi roll - "thick" and "thin". The thick one is called "futo"-maki - and the thin one is called "hoso"-maki. They are both made in exactly the same way - except the thin one is made with a half-sheet of nori - and the thick one with a whole sheet. Obviously - the thick one can take more filling - and because it is thicker - it is sliced thinner than the "hoso"-maki sushi roll.

Since the Route79 tribe lives in an area of London which also has a fairly large Japanese ex-pat community - and a large Japanese shopping centre nearby - I was persuaded to learn how to make sushi - and in particular: sushi rolls!

These are incredibly easy to make - and believe me - is a lot of fun! You can choose whatever fillings you like - and whatever fillings you think will go well together - it kind of is an adventure in creativity!

There is an ancient Japanese tenet which suggests that each meal should comprise of 12 different colours - thereby ensuring a balanced meal. One thing is for sure - a lot about Japanese food is in the presentation. And some dishes can look rather exquisite! Also - because there are so many different ingredients - Japanese cuisine (especially sushi) is all about savouring several tiny morsels of food - not about "pigging out". On this basis - it can be really healthy to eat Japanese-style because you tend to eat less - and eat more varied fresh ingredients. Can't be bad eh?

Anyway - back to the topic: how to make sushi rolls: well first you need to pay a visit to your local Japanese shop - and get hold of the following ingredients:

Ingredients

 * A packet of "nori" - seaweed sheets.
 * A packet of Japanese "sushi" rice.
 * A bottle of "seasoned rice vinegar" - for use in sushi
 * A bottle of Japanese soya sauce - the ones specifically for sushi are best
 * A tube of ready-prepared wasabi sauce - which is Japanese-style horseradish - VERY hot!
 * A packet of thinly-sliced pickled ginger (pink)

Also: you will need a bamboo "sushi mat" - which is used for rolling "maki" sushi rolls. These usually cost less than 1 pound.

And for the fillings:

Well - whatever you want! But I got the following together for two different sushi-rolls:

Roll 1: Small tin of cooked tuna chunks. Some julienned cucumber. A quarter of chopped avocado.

Roll 2: Small tin of cooked red salmon flakes. 1 large stick of asparagus - lightly cooked. Some julienned carrot.

Directions
What you need to do is to cook the sushi rice first. For 2 "thick" sushi rolls - get half a cup of sushi rice - and rinse it thoroughly. Put it in a small suacepan with the same amount of water plus a little more - and bring the pan to a boil. Put the lid on - and turn the heat down to a simmer - and let cook for 10 mins. After 10 mins turn off the heat - keep covered - and let it sit for 10 more mins.

Whilst the rice is cooking - prepare the fillings - i.e. chopping them - and julienning them.



When the rice is cooked - and has stood for 10 mins - add a tablespoon of the seasoned rice-vinegar (I used the Mitsukan brand)- and "fold" the rice a few times so that all the rice is coated with the vinegar. Do this carefully with a wooden spoon or spatula - making sure you don't "mash" the rice in the process. You should do this in a separate plate - and blow on the rice gently so that it cools down in the process - without evaporating the vinegar. Make sure you DON'T use a metal plate or foil - as this causes the vinegar to react and become putrid.



Recipe by Route 79
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