Sushi rolls are comprised of sheets of dried, roasted seaweed (‘Nori’), wrapped around cooked rice, with an additional filling of vegetable, raw seafood or tofu. These rolls are traditionally made with a bamboo mat, a technique that can take years to master. Geoff Jansz showed how to make sushi rice and sushi rolls at home, quickly and easily.

Sushi rice

Ingredients

2 cups Japanese rice
3 cups water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons of Japanese rice vinegar

Method

1. Put the rice and water into a pot with a tight fitting lid.
2. Bring to the boil, stir, turn the heat right down and put on the lid. After 12 minutes switch the heat off. (Tip: Take a clean, dry tea towel, place it over the top of the pot and replace the lid. The tea towel will absorb excess moisture.)
3. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the rice vinegar.
4. Tip the rice into a large container and drizzle over the liquid. Use a wooden spoon or rice paddle to gently slice through any lumps of cooked rice and evenly distribute the rice vinegar.
5. Quickly cool the seasoned rice with a fanning motion, to ensure the rice absorbs the seasoned vinegar flavour and takes on a glossy appearance.
6. When preparing sushi, dip your fingers into a bowl of water combined with a splash of rice vinegar before handling the rice, otherwise it will stick to your fingers.

Easy sushi

Ingredients

salmon
prawns
fish eggs
cucumber
avocado
kampyo
Nori or seaweed sheets
pickled ginger
wasabi
Japanese soy sauce
Japanese mayonnaise

Method

1. Place a Nori sheet in front of you with the longest edge closest to you and the glossy side facing down. Moisten fingers and wet the inside of the Sushi Express frame with water so rice does not stick. Place the Sushi Express frame in the centre of Nori sheet, and half fill the frame with sushi rice.
2. Make a channel lengthways along the centre of the rice with your fingers approximately 1 cm deep, ensuring the rice still covers the bottom and sides. Add a smear of wasabi and your choice of filling strips. (Tip: vary the size of the channel to suit the amount of filling you’re using.)
3. Cover the filling with more sushi rice to the top of the frame forming a slight mound. It is important that the sushi fillings are completely encased in rice, except for the ends of the roll.
4. Moisten the flat side of the Sushi Express lid with water so the rice does not stick. Place the flat side down in the frame. With fingers held in place inside grooves at each end of the frame, gently press the lid down with thumbs while pulling up on the frame, pushing the sushi rice "cake" out of the frame. Remove the lid.
5. Lightly moisten top edge of Nori with water. Fold the bottom edge over the sushi rice cake, followed by the top edge so that the Nori wraps around it. Roll the sushi rice cake over with the flap side down and gently press the Nori to the rice so it adheres.
6. Place the finished sushi roll on baking paper and wait 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the moisture from the rice to soften the Nori, making it easier to cut. Moisten a sharp knife with water before cutting the sushi. Cut the sushi roll in half, then cut each half into four equal pieces, wiping the blade with wet cloth after each cut.

Note: Seafood sushi should be eaten immediately or refrigerated for no longer than 24 hours.

Further information

The Sushi Express retails for around $30. It is available in Perth in homeware stores, and via internet orders elsewhere: www.sushiexpress.com.au

Copyright CTC Productions 2004