Rolled Sushi - Cooks Notes - Step by step

Cook's Notes

Rolled Sushi from Ideas
Although they look fancy, sushi rolls are not that difficult to make, all you need is a bit of practice. Follow these instructions and impress your guests.

View steps | Tips of the day

- Sushi in focus
- Find a sushi restaurant
- Tips on bying fresh fish
- Find a fishmonger
- Stock up on ingredients

Ingredients

Sushi rice: The Japanese variety of rice is known as Japonica. It is a short-grain rice that becomes extremely sticky once cooked and cooled. This type of rice is essential for making sushi.It is available from most supermarkets or in Asian shops.

Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is added to the rice when making sushi. It has a mild flavour and can be bought at Asian shops and selected supermarkets.

Soya sauce: This is used as a dip for sushi. It is available from supermarkets and Asian stores.

Pickled ginger: Delicious served with sushi.Available from supermarkets and in Asian stores.

Wasabi: This green horseradish paste is served with sushi and has an extremely strong flavour. Only a little is needed. Available in powder or paste form from selected supermarkets and Asian stores.

Nori sheets: Made from seaweed,these sheets are available from Asian stores and some supermarkets.

Fish: Fish for sushi must be incredibly fresh.Use any type except soft white fish. The fish needs to be cut across the grain with a very sharp knife. It is best to buy fish from a fishmonger who knows how to cut it for sushi.

Equipment

Bamboo rolling mat: A sushi mat is essential for making rolled sushi. It is made from thin bamboo sticks that are woven together and is available in two sizes (for thick or thin sushi). Available from Asian shops.
Sharp knife: Knives made especially for sushi preparation can be bought at Asian shops. Use any non-serrated, extremely sharp knife,and use a damp cloth to wipe the knife after each slice.

Other fillings

Try a mixture of interesting fillings. Keep in mind the combination of flavours, colours and textures to keep it exciting: fresh tuna, smoked or fresh salmon, prawn, crab sticks, sliced ham, Japanese omelette, shitake mushroom, pickled carrot,pickled daikon (Chinese radish), spring onion,green asparagus, lettuce. You can buy exotic ingredients at Asian shops.

Important points

Rolling the perfect sushi takes practice and your first attempt may not look great. Once you get the hang of it,it 's a great party idea.

The rice must be very sticky and is quite messy to work with. Keep a bowl of water and a clean cloth at hand while you are working to clean your hands.

Place a square of plastic wrap over the bamboo mat when making the rolls. This will help keep the mat clean because it may warp if you wash it.

Peel the plastic wrap back with the mat as you roll.When you are finished, wrap the roll in the plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. When you have made several rolls and are ready to serve them, unwrap and slice them.

Don't spread too thick a layer of rice onto the nori sheets. You should be able to see the nori between the rice grains.

Not all sushi rolls need to contain raw fish.You can try a vegetarian option using omelette, avocado and sliced carrots, cucumber or spring onion.

You can also use cooked prawns, crab sticks, smoked salmon or mackerel.

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	Tips of the day
	Raw fish When using raw fish, always buy it from a reputable fish shop and make sure it is very fresh. Never use soft white varieties of fish and never use fish or other seafood that has been frozen.