- Chirashizushi (scattered sushi) - a bow of sushi rice topped with raw meat or fish and garnishes
- Inarizushi - pouches of fried tofu filled with sushi rice
- Makizushi (rolled sushi) - the type of sushi we will be making today
- Narezushi (matured sushi) - fermented sushi, to be eaten after roughly 6 months
- Oshizushi (pressed sushi) - A box-shaped for of sushi, popular in Osaka, Japan
I will be including a How-To video at the end of today's entry, in case you choose to go the visual route. So, let's push those nervous feelings aside and make some sushi!
California Sushi Roll
You will need:
- 1 cup short grain sushi rice
- 1 avocado
- 1 English cucumber
- ½ cup Crab Meat (real or imitation)
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- sushi paper (nori seaweed)
- soy sauce
- mayonnaise to taste
- wasabi
- pickled ginger
- Rinse the sushi rice under running water until water is almost clear, and then cook with 1 cup of water in a rice cooker.
- If you don’t own a rice cooker, simmer rice in a pot, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.
- Place cooked rice in a bowl to cool.
- Add the vinegar and mix gently while fanning the rice to cool it, then set aside.
- Peel the cucumber and avocado, then slice into long, thin strips, and set aside.
- Put a seaweed sheet (nori) shiny-side down on a bamboo mat (if using one).
- Spoon rice on the nori sheet and spread to the edges, but leave about 1 inch at the furthest end from you.
- Leaving about an inch on the edges of the spread rice, put a line of crab, cucumber and avocado across the rice.
- Roll the mat (nori, if not using a mat) beginning with the edge closest to you.
- Continue to roll until you reach the reserved inch you left at the furthest edge.
- Put some water across the reserved portion of the nori, and roll it completely over.
- Press down firmly on the edge to ensure a tight adhesion.
- Release the bamboo mat and pull it back towards you, leaving the sushi roll in place.
- Dip a long, sharp knife in cold water to prevent it from sticking to the sushi rice.
- Slice the roll into small pieces.
- Make the second roll using the same method.
Buffalo Chicken Sushi
You will need:
- 1 cup rice short grain sushi rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 sheets nori
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 2 ribs celery, cut into thin strips
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- Bring the water and rice to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved, set aside and let cool.
- Spread the rice out in a large wide bowl and fold in the vinegar mixture.
- Place a sheet of nori on a sushi mat with the shiny side down and cover 3/4 (75%) of it with a thin layer of rice.
- Place a row of buffalo chicken, celery, carrots, and blue cheese down 1 inch away from the edge and roll it up.
- Repeat 3 more times.
- Slice each roll into thin pieces with a knife dipped in cold water, plate, and enjoy!
Okay folks, I'm going to leave you with this instructional video of how to make the California Roll. You do the same movements when making any rolled sushi. So, I bid you all a good day, and I'll be back tomorrow! Happy blogging friends!
