We have been amazed by how many people come to us looking for the ingredients to make Sushi.  Food pedants look away now because this recipe is about as Japanese as I am.  Don’t be nervous about giving this a try – its much easier than you might think, great fun and really tasty.

Ingredients

250g sushi rice
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp Mirin (optional)
3-4 sheets of toasted Nori
2-3 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar

To Serve

Soy Sauce or Tamari
Wasabi (hot Japanese horseradish)
Sushi ginger

Suggested Fillings
 
Thin strips of cucumber, red/orange pepper, avocado, root ginger, scallions or cooked asparagus, grilled  courgette & toasted sesame seeds.

Method

Rinse the rice in cold water & transfer into a saucepan (Do use proper Sushi rice as this will stick together well when you are rolling the sushi out later).  Add enough water to cover the rice by about 2cm.  Cover, bring to the boil & simmer for about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.  Remove the lid, cover the pan with a clean tea towel and then replace the lid. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the cooked rice into a large non metal bowl, adding the rice vinegar & Mirin (a Japanese Rice seasoning).  Put a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on a sushi mat or sheet of tin foil. Using wet fingers, put a handful of rice on the nori and spread it over the top leaving a strip of about 2cm uncovered on the edge nearest to you.  Using the back of your finger, press a shallow groove down the middle of the rice. Lay 1 or 2 strips of each of the filling ingredients in the groove and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Starting from the front edge, roll the mat or foil away from you so that the filling is enclosed in the nori.  You should end up with a tight tube with the nori on the outside and the rice & filling inside.  Place the tube join side down & using a sharp knife dipped in hot water, trim the ends and then cut the sushi roll into 1cm thick pieces.  Repeat with the remaining sheets of nori.  Serve chilled with soy sauce, pickled sushi ginger & wasabi – a hot Japanese horseradish.