Sushi and Onigiri-how to apply a firm yet gentle touch to cooking

Sushi rolling is based on a simple yet philosophical principle: one needs to apply firm, yet gentle force in order to produce the best outcome. The secret to making beautifully-rolled spiral sushi comes down to one's ability to be patient, organised, assertive and gentle-food for thought while you enjoy a home-made sushi roll?

Ingredients:

1.       Sushi rice

o       6-7 cups sushi rice

o       1-1 ½ cup (around 150ml) sushi vinegar (alternatively, you can use 1 cup of rice vinegar, dissolved with around 2 ½ tbsp sugar and 1tsp salt)

Wash rice well in cold water and soak in fresh water for 30 minutes to get rid of the excess starch.  Steam the rice in a rice cooker for best results. When cooked, cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool for 15 minutes, or until rice is just warm. Spread the rice in a large, flat-bottomed bowl or tub (preferably wood). Use a rice paddle or a plastic spatula to slice through the rice to break up the lumps and separate the grains. Gradually pour the sushi vinegar evenly over the rice (note: not all the sushi vinegar may be required, as the rice should not become too wet or mushy). Mix in well with a cutting action, being careful not to squash the rice. Fan the rice until it is almost cool. The cooled rice should have a glossy appearance, and the rice grains should be slightly sticky but still separate. The rice should take on a mild sushi vinegar flavour. Keep the rice covered with a damp cloth to stop it from drying out while other ingredients are being prepared.

2.       Nori (roasted seaweed sheet)

3.       Fillings

·         Marinated pork belly (note: pork belly is best for Onigiri, as the fat keeps the meat moist)

o       Pork belly, thinly sliced

o       1 part soy sauce

o       1 part sugar

o       Grated garlic to taste

·         Japanese omelette

o       6-7 large eggs, beaten

o       50ml dashi stock (dissolve dashi powder in boiling water)

o       1-2 tbsp sugar

o       1-1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce

o       1 tsp mirin

Mix the dashi, sugar, mirin and soy sauce in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour in with the beaten eggs.

Pour in ½ of the egg mixture in a non-stick pan (ideally a square non-stick pan). When the egg mixture is set, push the cooked egg mixture to the side and pour in ½ of the remaining egg mixture. When the second batch is cooked, roll the first batch of the mixture over the second batch, and push to the side. Pour in the remaining egg mixture and repeat the same process. The end product should be a layered omelette ‘roll’. Use a bamboo sushi mat to shape the omelette, cut off the ends, and cut into thick slices.

·         Cooked shitake mushrooms

o       10 dried shiitake mushrooms

o       1.5 tbsp sugar

o       3 tbsp soy sauce

o       1 tbsp sake

Soak dried mushrooms in warm water until soft. Slice thinly. Pour 50ml of the soaking liquid into a pot. Add soaked mushrooms, sugar, soy sauce and sake and cook until all the liquid evaporates.

·         Cooked prawns, butterflied

·         Cucumber, de-seeded and cut into batons

·         Canned tuna, drained

·         Japanese mayonnaise

·         Wasabi

·         Avocado, peeled and cut into strips

·         Pickled daikon, cut into batons

4.       Pickled ginger to serve

5.       Soy sauce and/or wasabi for dipping

Spiral rolls method:

1. Place a nori sheet lengthways across the bamboo mat, shiny-side down.
2. Wet hands with vinegar and spread a layer of rice evenly on the nori sheet without squashing the rice grains (note: do not overload with rice, or the sushi roll would burst). Leave a border of 1-2cm along the long edge of the nori sheet, on the opposite side
3. Place fillings of your choice in the centre of the rice (note: do not overload, or the sushi roll would burst)
4. Wet the exposed nori edge with vinegar to moisten slightly (optional)
5. Use the bamboo mat to roll tightly, applying firm but gentle pressure, into a cylinder. Wet a shape knife and slice into rounds
6. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and/or soy sauce.

Tuna mayonnaise and pork belly Onigiri (Japanese rice ball) method:

1. Mix drained canned tuna with Japanese mayo and wasabi, set aside
2. Grill the marinated pork, set aside
3. Place sushi rice on the palm of your hand, put a dent in the centre, and have the filling of your choice rolled inside. Form the rice ball into a flat round shape and wrap the rice ball with a long strip of toasted nori. Onigiri comes in different shapes and sizes, and there is plenty of room for your imagination!

Prawn handmade sushi method:

Mould the sushi rice into a small oval, then hand press a butterflied prawn on top. Note: the size of the oval should be bite-size, as sushi should always be eaten whole, in one piece.