Beginning sushi making takes a bit of practice to get the hang of, so the first few attempts may not be pretty. After the sushi rice has been prepared and allowed to cool, it's time to move on to the next step in the process. Make sure that the following items are on hand:
- sushi rolling mat
- condiment bowls
- large, sharp knife
- cutting board
- plastic wrap
- sushi rice
- fish
- shrimp
- avocado
- cucumber
- black sesame seeds
- white sesame seeds
- rice vinegar
- salt
- sugar
- pickled ginger
- wasabi powder
- roasted nori (seaweed), rice paper, or soy wrap
Sushi Rolling Basics
Rolling can be both the easiest and the hardest part of sushi making. This depends on the type of roll desired. Rolls come in a variety of forms, from standard, inside-out, to the more elaborate rolls such as shikai-maki. Prior to rolling sushi, wrap the rolling mat in plastic wrap. This makes rolling and cleanup a breeze.
It's a good idea to have several small bowls on hand for keeping the various ingredients handy, reserving one specifically for rinsing fingers in a 1:1 mixture of rice vinegar to water. This prevents the rice from sticking to the fingers when spreading the rice.
Making the Standard Sushi Roll
To make the basic roll, the nori should be at the edge of the rolling mat closest to the preparer. Press a thin layer of rice evenly onto the nori, leaving about a half inch of nori exposed closest to the center of the mat. At the left edge, starting from left to right, place a thin layer of fish and vegetables onto the rice in a line. The most common mistake when making sushi for the first time is to use too much filling. In sushi, less is more.
Next, gently roll the edge of the mat up and over the rice mixture while pressing down firmly and rolling the mat away. Carefully unroll the mat and remove the roll to a cutting board. Cut the roll into two pieces with a large, sharp knife and then place the two pieces side by side. Proceed to slice the roll again into 4 to 6 slices and place on a serving dish.
Sprinkle the roll with sesame seeds and garnish with sliced ginger and wasabi. Place soy sauce in a condiment bowl and serve.
Making an Inside-Out sushi Roll
The inside-out roll can be achieved with a slight variation on the standard roll. The key to this roll is practice and more practice. For the inside-out roll, cover the nori completely with rice, then carefully flip the nori and rice mixture over so that the rice is on the plastic wrap. Next, layer the fish/vegetable mixture onto the nori as per the standard roll and use the same rolling method.
Making sushi can be a fun learning experience. Make sushi night a dinner theme party and let everyone try their hand at creating and rolling their own sushi.
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