Elegant, delicious and very low in fat, homemade sushi looks amazing and is
surprisingly easy to create if you follow Jacque Malouf's simple method
While sushi chefs train for years to create complex sashimi and sushi, the simpler pieces, such as maki rolls, are easy to make at home. Serve with soy sauce and pickled sushi ginger.
To make about 30 pieces of maki roll, place 500g sushi rice and 600ml water in a large, heavy-bottomed pan (picture 1). Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Cover, lower the temperature and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, keep the lid on and leave for a further 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the seasoning by placing 4 tsp caster sugar, 6 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp salt in a small pan over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then leave to cool in a bowl.
Place the cooked rice in a large, shallow dish. Fan it with a piece of card or a fan so it cools quickly. At the same time, sprinkle the rice with half the seasoning and, using a broad, wooden spatula (picture 2), incorporate it with a folding action (do not stir the rice as this will mash the grains). If possible, get someone to help you here. Continue to add seasoning, adding just enough to flavour the rice without making it soggy (you may not need to use it all). When the rice reaches room temperature, cover with a damp cloth until ready to use.
Place a piece of nori seaweed on a rolling mat, shiny side down. Wet your hands, then cover the nori with a 1cm layer of the rice, leaving a 3cm border at the far end. Moisten the border with water or vinegar seasoning.
Use a chopstick to make a channel in the rice about a third of the way up the nori. Spread a tiny dab of wasabi in the channel with a fingertip. Put the filling - such as smoked salmon and cucumber - over the wasabi, and hold it in place with your fingertips. Roll the nori and mat towards the back of the nori with your fingers to make a tight roll (picture 3). Re-roll if it is too loose. Press the moist border to seal.
Wipe a knife with a wet cloth and slice the roll. Wipe before each slice to prevent sticking.
Tips
- You can buy kits with all you need to make sushi, such as rice, nori, seasoning and a rolling mat.
- Sushi rice is not dissimilar to risotto rice and cooks to a sticky finish. Cooking methods depend on brand and age, so follow the instructions on the pack. Each maki roll requires about 100g uncooked sushi rice.
- Do not refrigerate sushi rice after cooking, as its texture becomes firm and pasty.
l Wet your hands before handling sushi rice to avoid sticking.
- Experiment with your sushi roll fillings. Try cooked prawns, avocado, blanched asparagus, carrot sticks, omelette strips or cooked shiitake mushrooms. Strips of raw fish, such as salmon or tuna, are great, but must be very fresh and from a reputable supplier.
- Sushi hand rolls (temaki) are cones that look impressive and don't require a rolling mat. Cut a piece of nori in half lengthwise and place one half, shiny side down, on a board with the long side towards you. Place some rice, wasabi and filling in a rough rectangle on the left-most third of the nori, leaving a 2cm gap at the bottom. Moisten the right-hand edge of the nori. Lift the bottom left-hand corner diagonally and roll the whole thing into a cone with the rice peeping out at the top. Press the moist edge of the nori to seal.