Thursday, August 26, 2010

{Savvilicious} Sushi!



It is time to make Sushi!
(This is a recipe that sharp knives are a must! And no serrated edges or "forever sharp" knives- you will need a nice and sharp edge. Watch your fingers!)

The one special "tool" you will need is a small bamboo rolling mat- they are only a few dollars, and can be found in many grocery stores where they sell sushi or the Asian food, or you may find a "sushi making kit" at Marshall's or Home Goods type of store.

Ingredients:
Carrot- peeled and sliced into very thin sticks
Cucumber- peeled and sliced into thin sticks
Rice vinegar
Short grain rice - or sushi rice (more expensive). We use Mahatma Valencia rice, but I think that brand may only be available here in Florida. This is also called pearl rice or short grain rice.
1 pack of nori (seaweed sheets)
1 pack of cooked and ready to eat salmon - Teriyaki flavor works great
Soy sauce for dipping

Directions:
Cook the rice per directions, then when fully cooked, transfer to a large non-metal bowl and add 3-4 tablespoons of the rice vinegar and gently stir in the vinegar and spread out the rice to cool. You want to speed up the cooling of the rice, get the vinegar mixed in, but don't smash up the rice into a mush.
Take a nori sheet and place shiny side down on the bamboo mat, wide end towards you.
Take the rice and spread a thin but solid layer on the bottom 2/3 of the sheet. Take the carrots and cucumber and make a strip of a few sticks of each across the rice, about 1/2 way up. Then, take the salmon and make a thin layer on top of the veggies. Now- the tricky part and one that may take practice- rolling. Start by rolling the bottom edge up and over the veggies and salmon, and fold the mat back and away as the roll starts to form. You will now see the reason for leaving the top 1/3 with no rice- it seals the roll together. Your first few rolls won't be perfect, or maybe not even that round. Make the first cut right in the middle, then line up the two halve side by side and cut slices of approximately 1/4 inch in thickness. Dip in soy sauce and enjoy.

No comments: