Equipment

• Bamboo sushi mat enclosed in plastic wrap
• Sharp knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Cutting board
• Measuring jug
• Small spoon
• Damp kitchen towel
• Bowl of water for cleaning hands

Preparing Ingredients & Mat:

• Sushi mat – enclose/wrap the mat in plastic
• Salmon – cut into thin slices
• Cucumber – cut off the ends and cut the cucumber in half. Peel it, scoop out the seeds and cut into thin strips
• Avocado – remove the skin and pip . Cut into thin strips. Use the damp kitchen towel for cleaning the knife after each cutting. Lemon juice can be squeezed over the avocado strips to keep them from going brown.

Preparing the rice:

• Rinse rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear.
• Drain in a colander for 1 hour.
• In a pan, add 250ml water to the rice and bring to the boil. Allow water to evaporate and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
• Allow to simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
• Remove from heat and allow to stand for 20 minutes.
• Tip rice into a wide, non-metallic container and spread it out – this is to prevent the rice from getting a metallic taste.
• Combine rice vinegar, castor sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved.
• Sprinkle the solution over the warm rice, fluffing the rice with a wet spatula. Do not mash.
• You can fan the rice to cool it as this gives it a nice glossy finish.

How to make California Rolls:

Step 1 : Creating the base

• Place a sheet of nori, shiny side down on the board. Spread and pat down a handful of rice on top of nori
• NOTE: When handling sushi rice, dip your hands in the water to keep them moist. This ensures that the rice won’t stick to your hands.
• The layer musn’t be too thick – you should be able to see the nori through the rice. Remember to leave a space at the bottom open, roughly 1cm thick.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the prepared nori. Lay down the bamboo mat and place the nori sheet rice side down.

Step 2 : Placing the filling

• Fold the top of the mat to provide support when rolling. Lay down strips of salmon, avocado and cucumber in the middle of the nori sheet.

Step 3 : Rolling the sushi

• Use the bamboo mat to roll the bottom edge of the nori over the filling in the centre. As you roll the nori over, tuck in the filling making sure the role is right.

• Pull the mat back and use it to roll the rest of the nori. Roll firmly and uniformly, but don’t squash it.

• First cut off the edges and then cut the remainder in half. Place the halves side-by-side and cut into 3 sections for 6 California rolls

Serving Suggestion

 

Soy Sauce

Use a lighter variety of soy sauce to provide saltiness and compliment the subtle flavours of the fish and rice

Pickled Ginger

The sweet yet strong flavour of the ginger will cleanse your palette so you can enjoy the full flavour of the sushi.

Wasabi

This spicy condiment is used to enhance the taste of the sushi. Beware it can be strong, so use it at your own discretion

With acknowledgement to SPAR Savour Magazine.