Homemade Sushi

Unsurprisingly there wasn’t a lot of sushi in 1980s Yorkshire so I didn’t eat it until I was an adult and was immediately hooked. Vancouver has an abundance of sushi restaurants so for 12 years I ate it every week then moved back to the UK where it was harder to find again. My kids love sushi so I decided to try making my own and I was pleased to find it wasn’t complicated. You must use sushi rice but besides that you can use a lot of everyday ingredients to make great homemade sushi. You can buy sushi rice online, at international food shops as well as regular supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose)

INGREDIENTS
240g sushi rice
350ml water
50ml vinegar (either rice wine or apple cider)
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable oil

• Wash the rice twice in a sieve then put into a small saucepan and cover with 350ml of clean water and bring to the boil then immediately reduce the heat, put a tight fitting lid on and cook on low for 30 minutes. Once the rice is cooked let it cool completely.
• In another small saucepan add the oil, vinegar, salt and sugar then stir until the sugar is dissolved then set aside until the rice is cooked and cooled. Once the rice is cooled pour over the liquid and stir then let it absorb for 20 minutes before shaping.

Tuna Mayo Roll

• Spoon the cooled, seasoned rice onto a large piece of greaseproof paper then use the edges of the paper to make the rice into a 20x10cm rectangle.
• Drain a tin of tuna then mix with mayonnaise and grind over with salt. Spoon a line of tuna mayo in the centre of the rice then line with narrow strips of cucumber. Slide your hands under each side of the paper and form the rice into a roll and press the edges together. Gently roll the sushi roll on the surface then remove the greaseproof paper and slice into sections.

Salmon Nigiri

• Use previously frozen, farmed salmon to make nigiri. This ensures any bacteria has been killed. Remove the vertical vein from the fillet then cut across the grain (not in the same direction as the fat lines) to make sushi sized pieces.
• Place a heaped tablespoon of rice into your hand and form it into a bite-sized oblong. You can put a fingertip’s worth of wasabi on the rice before placing the salmon on top or leave it plain.

Cucumber Maki

• Place a sheet of nori on a piece of greaseproof paper then flatten out some rice on top leaving a 1cm boarder all the way around. Top with some fine pieces of cucumber then slide your hands under each side of the greaseproof paper and form into a roll. Gently roll the sushi roll on the surface then remove the greaseproof paper and cut into individual pieces.