Simple Rolled Sushi
These simple rolls, known as Hosomaki, are an excellent way of learning the art of rolling sushi. They are very good for picnics and canapes and are always served cold. You will need a bamboo mat (makisu) for the rolling process.
Ingredients
- 400g/14oz/2 cups sushi rice, soaked for 20 minutes in water to cover 55m1/31/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 15m1/1 tbsp sugar
- 2.5m1/1/2 tsp salt
- 6 sheets yaki-nori seaweed
- 200g/7oz tuna, in one piece 200g/7oz salmon, in one piece wasabi paste
- 1/2 cucumber, quartered lengthways and seeded
- pickled ginger, to garnish (optional) Japanese soy sauce, to serve
Preparation
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- Drain the rice, then put in a pan with 525ml / 18fl oz / 2¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, heat the vinegar, sugar and salt, stir well and cool. Add to the hot rice, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to stand (covered) for 20 minutes.
- Cut the yaki-nori sheets in half lengthways. Cut the tuna and salmon into four long sticks, each about the same length as the long side of the yaki-nori, and about 1cm / ½in square if viewed from the side.
- Place a sheet of yaki-nori, shiny side down, on a bamboo mat. Divide the rice into 12 portions. Spread one portion over the yaki-nori, leaving a 1cm / ½ in clear space at the top and bottom.
- Spread a little wasabi paste in a horizontal line along the middle of the rice and lay one or two sticks of tuna on this.
- Holding the mat and the edge of the yaki-nori nearest to you, roll up the yaki-nori and rice into a cylinder with the tuna in the middle. Use the mat as a guide — do not roll it into the food. Roll the rice tightly so that it sticks together and encloses the filling firmly.
- Carefully roll the sushi off the mat. Make 11 more rolls in the same way, four for each filling ingredient, but do not use wasabi with the cucumber. Use a wet knife to cut each roll into six slices and stand them on a platter. Garnish with pickled ginger, if you wish, and serve with soy sauce.
Makes 12 rolls or 72 slices.