Sushi

Sushi has become increasingly popular in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. This is partly due to increased health consciousness and sushi being regarded as one of the healthiest meals around.

Numerous variations of sushi can be found, including many that are not even available in Japan. In short, sushi is vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients, usually fish or seafood. There are different kinds of sushi including sushi nigiri, which is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice and maki sushi, which is translated as ‘roll sushi’, which consists of rice and seafood or other ingredients placed on a sheet of seaweed (nori) and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat and cut into smaller pieces.



Sushi Rice
2 cups sushi rice
2 cups water (and additional water to wash rice)
2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP salt

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and stir with a spoon. Pour off the water and repeat 2 or 3 times until the water is no longer cloudy.
Place the rice in a pot and cover with 2 cups of water. Place over a high heat, uncovered and bring to the boil.
Once boiling, turn the heat down as low as possible, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice stand covered for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for a few seconds.
Place the rice in a glass bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Using a spatula, fold the vinegar mixture into the rice until every grain is coated.
Cool to room temperature before using to make your sushi, but don’t let the rice dry out.

Maki Sushi

There are two kinds of maki sushi – futmaki, which is fat maki, and hosomaki, or thin maki.

2 to 3 sheets of nori (seaweed)
Sushi rice
Strips of tuna fillet
Vegetables such as avocado, cooked carrot, cucumber

To make maki sushi, place the rough side of your nori (seaweed) upwards on the bamboo mat.
Wet your hands and place a ball of rice on the nori, spreading it evenly.
Place a slice of tuna between one and three pre-cut vegetables, such as avocado, cucumber and cooked carrot onto the rice.
Roll, tightening it as you go, until completely rolled.
Cut the roll into 6 or 8 slices, using a sharp wet knife.

California Rolls

These are rolled sushi with a slight variation.

2 to 3 sheets of nori (seaweed)
Sushi rice
Crab sticks
Vegetables such as avocado and cucumber
Mayonnaise
Sesame seeds

Place the rough side of your nori upwards on the bamboo mat.
Wet your hands and place a ball of rice on the nori, spreading it evenly.
Press the rice down firmly and turn the nori over.
Place crab sticks and vegetables such as avocado and cucumber onto the nori.
Add a line of mayonnaise.
Roll, tightening it as you go, until completely rolled.
Coat with sesame seeds.
Cut the roll into 6 to 8 slices, using a sharp wet knife.

Spicy Tuna Roll

This can be made in the classic way or with the rice on the outside, as with the Californian rolls.

2 to 3 sheets of nori
Sushi rice
Strips of tuna fillet
Avocado
Spicy mayonnaise

Roll and cut as for maki sushi.
Serve with a drop of spicy mayonnaise.

Sushi Nigiri

These should be made in pairs as it is a sign of peace.

Sushi rice
Salmon, tuna, prawns
Wasabi

Shape a thumb size lump of rice into an oval with a flat base.
Take a 1cm thick by 5cm by 3cm piece of salmon or tuna, or a prawn.
Spread a small amount of wasabi on the fish and place the fish, wasabi side down, firmly onto the rice.
This will glue the fish onto the rice.
Serve with maki sushi.

Sashimi Salad



Ice and water
A piece of fresh fish such as tuna or salmon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
Carrots, peeled
Cucumber
Celery stalks
Radishes

Dressing
1 TBSP onion, finely chopped
2,5 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 tsp water
0,5 tsp sugar
Pinch salt
Pinch mustard
Pinch ground pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP sesame oil

Fill a bowl with ice and water.
Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a skillet and grease with a little oil.
Add the fish and sear for about 6 seconds on each side.
Plunge into the ice-bath to stop the cooking, drain and dry off the excess water.
Slice the tuna into2mm thick slices. Roll them into cylinders.
Make the salad by thinly slicing the vegetables.
Place directly into an ice bath and let them stand until the vegetables begin to curl (about 15 minutes).
Drain and place in the centre of each plate, add the fish rolls.
Make the dressing, by mixing all the ingredients together.
Serve the salad ingredients together with the fish and/or prawns.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad.