Just made sushi! Still some questions

NativeMom

Tue, May 04 2010, 10:45 pm

Fabulous wrote:

Thanks ladies.

I had another few questions. The bamboo mat gets very dirty and is not easy to clean. My brother mentioned that the sushi stores have ones with plastic on top. Where can I get that? Also, I can just leave it out covered in a bowl by wet paper towel and silver foil?

I make sushi ALL the time! It's cheaper and I love it bc we can't get any good decent kosher sushi around here, so good for you!

In terms of the mat, I put the mat in a gallon size zip lock bag and take it out when I'm done, that way it stays clean!

↑ Mrs Bissli

Wed, May 05 2010, 7:55 am

BTW, about the bamboo mats, make sure they're COMPLETELY DRY before stashing away in a ziplock bag or whatever... Otherwise they can get moldy (yuck!).

Blueberry muffin, basically what you need are rice, seaweed sheets for wrapper, filling (fish or nonfish) plus soy sauce and wasabi (optional) for condiments.

Rice: easiest if you have a rice cooker (follow direction). Use short-grain, sushi rice that gives sticky consistency. You can't use basmati/easy-cook. My trick is to rinse rice till water gets clear and let it soak at least 20-30min before cooking. If using a pot, make sure you use a heavy bottomed one with a tight fitting lid. If you soak the rice properly, you shouldn't need more than 1.5x water to 1x rice (as opposed to the standard 2x). Cook on medium to high flame till water boil, then turn to the LOWEST simmer. Make sure you let it steam after you turn off the heat to fluff up the grain for about 5-10min.

Vinegar seasoning: mizkan rice vinegar has OU. We don't like too vinegary taste so go light (like 1/3 cup for about 4-5cup uncooked rice). I add about 1 teasp each salt and sugar/honey. Place freshly cooked, hot rice on a flat casserole/pyrex/pan (not metal), pour vinegar seasoning across and mix without mushing the rice. (best done with a plastic/silicone paddle/spatula). Let cool but don't refrigerate.

Seaweed: just open from the package. If you look carefully, there should be slightly shiner side vs rough side. Rice/fish should go on the rough (ie non-shiny) side. Wipe clean the bamboo mat (but don't wash lest you get soggy rolls) if you're using.

Rolling: place a seaweed sheet shiny side down. Put layer of rice about pretty much across, leaving 1" of area furtherest away from you empty. Don't put too much rice otherwise it'll be harder to roll. Place fish/filling across, roughly in the centre. Start rolling the mat, keep it tight to avoid collapse. Use a sharp knife (serrated one seems to work best) to slice into rolls. You may have to wash/wipe the knife if it gets too sticky.

To be honest, I find rolling a bit fussy, so make cone-shaped hand rolls. You cut the seaweed sheets into quarters (or half if you want them less deinty), fill half way with rice, put fish/filling and just roll up free-style a la tacos or a la icecream cone.

↑ Soph

Wed, May 05 2010, 8:31 am

EASIEST SUSHI RICE RECIPE EVER...

Ingredients
2 cups sushi or short grain rice
2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Directions
Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.

Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.