Fancy Friday: Sushi

Sushi just might be one of my all time favorite foods. And ever since I learned how to make it at home, it's been great for when I get a sushi craving. Whenever I make this, I need help though. I can't actually roll up the rolls myself without squashing them, so it's usually a team effort. It's definitely a slow process, but so worth it. And while it's not cheap, it's way cheaper than sushi at a restaurant.

Grocery list items
Sushi vinegar
rice vinegar
wasabi powder
1 1/4 lb fish
frozen shrimp
mayonnaise
panko
cucumber
avocado
scallions
tobiko (flying fish roe)
Nori (flat sheets of seaweed)

The thing I love about sushi is not just that it is so delicious, it's also pretty and colorful. And when I make sushi, I make a LOT so there are leftovers for the next day. When you're having a repeat sushi craving.

Sushi Rice:
3 cups dry sushi rice
3 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp water
3/4 cup sushi vinegar

Making sushi rice can be a bit tricky. What you'll need is a pot with a tight-fitting lid, so that you can properly steam the rice. You want the rice to come out sticky and not burned.

Start by rinsing the rice. Put it in a strainer and rinse it with cold water. Then put it in a large glass bowl, and cover the rice in water. Run your hand through the rice to release the starch. Drain the rice in the strainer. Repeat several times, until when you put the rice in the bowl, the water is clear and not cloudy. Strain the rice one last time, and allow to sit in the strainer for 10 min, to let the rest of the water drain out.
Put the rice in a pot, and add the water. Cook on medium high heat for 10 min. Then raise the temperature to high, and cook for 2 min. You should see a lot of bubbling, and hear the lid rattling. Lower the temperature to medium, and cook for 5 min. Then turn the heat off, and let the rice sit in the pot for 15 min. Do not lift the lid off the pot until after those 15 min are up.
Remove the lid from the pot, and stir the rice with a wooden spoon or rice paddle. Make sure to unstick it from the pot a bit. Then wrap the lid in a clean towel and cover for another 15 min. Make sure to remove the pot from the burner, even with the heat off.
Now you are ready to flavor the rice. Put it in a large plastic or glass bowl, and drizzle in the sushi vinegar, stirring briskly. You don't want to use metal, because it will react with the sushi vinegar. Then fan the rice for 2 min with a piece of cardboard or paper to help it cool. Cover the rice with a clean, damp towel and allow to come to room temperature. Leave the damp towel on until you are ready to use the rice.

Spicy Mayonnaise:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
sriracha, to taste

Mix the ingredients together to get a delicious spicy mayonnaise for topping your sushi!

Sushi:
1 tbsp wasabi powder
1 tbsp water
1 1/4 lb raw fish, sliced thin (tuna and salmon are often available as "sushi grade")
10 frozen shrimp
1 cucumber, sliced long and thin
1 avocado, sliced long and thin
3 scallions, chopped fine
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
tobiko
panko
sushi nori (about 14 sheets, cut in half)

Start by making the wasabi. Add wasabi powder to a bowl with the water and stir. If it's too watery, add more powder. Too dry, add more water. Try to keep the ratio 1:1.

Make the shrimp. Start by defrosting shrimp, and leaving the shell on. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Slide shrimp onto a skewer, starting at the opposite end from the tail. This will keep the shrimp straight, instead of curling up. Drop skewered shrimp into the boiling water, and poach. They will float to the top and look pink when cooked. Immediately shock them with cold water to prevent overcooking. Now you can remove the skewer and shells, and slice the shrimp in half, back to front.

In a bowl, combine rice vinegar and water.

Now begins the real roll making!
Start with a half sheet of nori on a rolling mat (cover the mat with saran wrap for easier cleanup later).
Wet your hands in the vinegar and water mixture, and grab a small handful of rice. The vinegar prevents it from sticking to your hands. Spread the rice on one side of the nori in a relatively thin layer. If you need more rice, get more rice until the nori is fairly well covered on one side. Then flip the nori over.

For the inside of your roll, take some wasabi on your finger and rub it down the center of the seaweed. Now you can choose the ingredients to put in your roll! I like to put cucumber, avocado, scallions, a few pieces of fish, and some spicy mayonnaise, panko, and tobiko. Try not to make them too thick if this is your first time rolling sushi, as it's a bit tricky.
Using the mat to help you, roll the sushi up. Imagine rolling a towel, with the sushi mat pressing it into place, without getting rolled inside! This takes practice, and as I said, I usually need help with this part.

Once your roll is ready, use the mat to squeeze it a little tighter, so it really sticks together. Then transfer it to a cutting board. Rub the flat of a sharp knife with the vinegar and water mixture, so it doesn't stick to the roll. Then using gentle back and forth motions, cut the roll into pieces. Transfer them to a plate, and tah-dah! Sushi! Repeat until all your ingredients are gone.

Decorate sushi rolls as you like, spreading tobiko on the outside, or panko, or drizzling with mayonnaise. Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce, if you like.

As I said, this makes SO MUCH sushi! So if you don't need enough for an army, you can easily adjust the recipe down. I have found that this ratio of rice and fish works, so that you don't have leftovers of one or the other.