Nori-maki
Rice:
3 1/3 c. short-grain white rice
4 c. water
1 3" square of kombu (kelp)
Dressing:
Dissolve (must completely dissolve) 5 T sugar in 6 T. unseasoned rice vinegar.
(Marukan (?) has green trimmed label for unseasoned). Add about 4 t. sea salt.
(I do not like it quite so salty. Taste the dressing and see what you think).
Bring rice to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until
all water is absorbed. Wrap pot lid in a towel and cover again. Turn off heat
and let stand for 15 minutes. Pour rice into a large bowl. My large Rubbermaid
bowl is a perfect sushi-rice making instrument, and I don't question that, I
just use it. The book recommends a wooden bowl. Stir the rice, and slowly
drizzle the dressing over it while you stir. As you do this, either have someone
fan the rice with a piece of newspaper or something, or aim a small fan at it,
at low speed. Try to stir gently and not break the grains of rice. After about
10 min, the rice will be sticky and somewhat cooler.
Filling and stuff:
You'll need about 8 sheets of nori seaweed.
Anything veggie *can* be a filling. I recommend combinations of any of the
following:
cucumber cut into long strips
lightly cooked carrots, cut into long strips
rehydrated and stewed (in water plus 2 T. rice wine) kampyo or gourd strips
rehydrated and stewed (in the leftover gourd water) shiitake mushrooms
alfalfa sprouts
red pepper strips
pickled plums
blanched asparagus spears
white radish cut into long strips
For those who can deal with a little vegetable fat, some 'restricted'
ingredients can be used
sesame seeds
tempeh (stewed in the leftover mushroom/gourd water
avocado, cut into strips
Place a piece of nori on a sushi mat (looks like lots of little bamboo rods tied
together; stiff in one direction and flexible in the other). You should be
rolling the nori along its long axis. Cover about 2/3 of the sheet of nori with
a 1 cm. layer of rice, leaving about 1/2 inch bare at the bottom and 1 1/2 inch
at the top. Place desired fillings in a line across the rice, approximately in
the middle. Fold nori over so that the rice rolls around the fillings; tuck
short edge of bare nori into the inside of the roll and wrap long edge around.
Wrap the sushi mat around the roll and use it to firmly pack the rice together.
Gentle pressure should be used, so that the nori doesn't crack; the end product
should be round and firm enough to be easily sliced with a sharp knife. This
requires some practice, yes.
Leftover nori rolls make a great lunch.