Saturday, January 19, 2008

Sushi

This recipe comes from Edie, Alex and Topher's fourth grade teacher. Every spring to conclude their study of Japan, the class with help from Edie and parents prepared a Japanese feast complete with sushi rolls (no raw fish --- just cucumbers and carrots) and chicken Yakitori and finished with the not so Japanese but absolutely delicious Ericson's ginger ice cream. I had not made this in many years but was inspired a few years ago when John served delicious avocado and Maine crab sushi aboard More-at-Rest in Northeast Harbor.

Rinse until water runs clear (I usually don't; rinsing it to remove added talc which most rice I buy does not have)

1 1/2 c sushi rice

Put rice in large saucepan, add 2 1/2 c water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool

VARIATION: I find it quicker and less messy to use a rice cooker. If making avocado rolls (leftover sushi with avocado filling does not keep well), I sometimes make a smaller batch of rice 1/2 c rice : 7/8 c water for 2 rolls or 3/4 c rice : 1 1/4 c water for 3 rolls; 1 roll = 8 pieces).

While the rice is cooking, combine in small saucepan:

½ c [I use 1/3 c] rice wine vinegar
1 T [I use 4 T - this is not a typo, in this recipe I do use more sugar!] sugar
1 t salt [I omit]

Heat just until sugar has dissolved.


Prepare:

1 cucumber, sliced in long “matchstick” strips
2-3 carrots, sliced in long “matchstick” strips

Add vinegar mix to rice and toss to mix well.

Preheat nori over gas flame (holding nori in tongs) for a few seconds (until nori turns bright green)

Place a square of

Nori seaweed (you will need ~ 6 pieces in all)

Shiny side down on a bamboo mat made for rolling sushi. Spread it evenly with a ¼” layer of rice, leaving a 1“ boarder (no rice, just nori) at the top edge. Place a strip of cucumber and carrot running full length of the mat about 1/2 inch from the bottom. Use the mat to tightly roll the nori around the rice forming it into a log. The rice is sticky so rinse hands in water as needed to keep rice from sticking to them.  Slice rolls into 8 pieces and serve with

Soy sauce
Wasabi
Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced with vegetable peeler and/or pickled ginger

VARIATIONS:

My Favorite: Instead of carrots and cucumber, use thinly sliced avocado sprinkled with lemon juice and toasted sesame seeds with/without crab or wild smoked salmon.

Omit carrots, use wild smoked salmon spread lightly with Duck Trap Farm Mustard Dill Sauce and "matchstick" cucumber. I don't serve wasabi with this variation.

Omit carrots, add cooked crab or wild smoked salmon to the “matchstick” cucumber.

One afternoon right after launching Condor, I got out all the ingredients I had brought to make sushi and discovered I must have taken the sushi mat home for the winter. I did have some small bamboo skewers and aluminum foil on board and from this I made a very serviceable mat.

Reviewed 5/15/17


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