I have recently become increasingly interested in Japanese culture and gastronomy, so thought I would have a go at one of the dishes we in the West associate most with Japan. Sushi, or more correctly, Maki Sushi. I have included my simple take on this wonderfully variable and delicious dish. You can use a large variety of fish and/or vegetables, as long as they are not too hard or crunchy.
I did cheat a little, though, as I bought a “Sushezi” sushi-moulding machine, advertised on Instagram. It certainly made light work of creating the “dented circular” shape for my sushi.
Ingredients (serves 2):
For the rice:
- 250 g sushi rice
- 250 ml water
- 30 g rice (wine) vinegar (I substituted white wine vinegar)
- 8 g fine sugar
- small pinch of salt
For the filling:
- half a tin of anchovies, drained
- 50 g smoked trout
- 50 g smoked salmon
- quarter of a red, green and yellow pepper, sliced lengthwise
Method:
- Wash the rice well, until the water is clear.
- Add the rice and water to a small pan. Bring the water to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer on very low for 12 – 18 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed, stirring gently a couple of times.
- Add the rice wine, sugar and salt to a large bowl and mix well, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Allow the rice to stand for 5 minutes after cooking. Meanwhile, slice the peppers.
- Gently mix the rice into the rice seasoning with a wooden spoon.
- If you have a Sushezi, follow the enclosed instructions for packing the rice, making an indent in the centre and placing the content in the middle. Otherwise, you are looking to create a cylinder of rice with a few pieces of fish and/or pepper along the length. Lay a piece of seaweed (“nori”) flat on a bamboo mat. Spread a thin layer of rice onto the seaweed (“nori”) and place an overlapping line of of fish and pepper along the centre. Roll the seaweed carefully using a small bamboo mat.
- Slice the sushi into 2-3 cm pieces and serve.
If you like this recipe, take a look at our Omurice dish.
Enjoy!