Sushi Rice
You will need:
- 3 cups sushi rice (It should say "sushi rice" right on the bag)
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup Japanese rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water.
- Swirl the rice in the water with your hand, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.
- Rinse a few more times.
- After the rice is rinsed, let the rice drain in a colander or strainer for 1 hour.
- After the rice has drained, put the rice in the rice cooker with the 3 cups of water, cover, and start.
- If you don't have a rice cooker place rice and water in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let rice rest, covered, for 15 additional minutes.
- While rice is cooking, prepare the vinegar mixture.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Heat mixture just until the sugar dissolves (do not let it boil).
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- When the rice is done cooking, gently spread out the rice over a cookie sheet.
- Evenly distribute the cooled vinegar mixture over the rice.
- Gently turn rice over from time to time with rice paddle or wooden spatula so that rice cools evenly.
- To speed things up, fan the rice each time you turn it over.
- When rice has cooled to room temperature, it is ready to use for sushi rolls.
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Shrimp Tempura Godzilla Rolls
Yields 5 Pieces
You will need:
- Sushi Rice
- Nori (dry roasted seaweed), 1 sheet
- 2 to 3 pieces shrimp tempura (prepared)
- 2 slices avocado
- 3 to 4 teaspoons cream cheese
- ½ cup flour
- tempura batter
- oil for frying
- Spicy mayo (see recipe below)
- Lay the bamboo sushi rolling mat on a cutting board with bamboo strips going horizontally from you.
- Cover the bamboo with plastic wrap.
- Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat, shiny side down.
- Spread sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly.
- Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top.
- Place shrimp tempura, avocado and cream cheese lengthwise on the seaweed.
- Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi (the KEY is to roll it TIGHT).
- Press the bamboo mat firmly with hands, then remove the rolled sushi.
- Roll the roll in flour then dip entire rice roll in tempura batter and deep fry (oil heated to 350 degrees) for about 3 minutes or until batter turns crispy and golden brown.
- Remove from oil and let cool for a few minutes.
- With a VERY sharp knife, cut the sushi roll into 4 to 5 pieces.
- Top with spicy mayo.
To Make the Spicy Mayo:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1 dash sesame oil
- Stir ingredients together until well mixed.
- Enjoy!
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California Crab Rolls
Serves 5 to 6
You will need:
- 4 cups sushi rice
- 1 package nori
- 1 medium avocado, sliced length-wise
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced length-wise
- 1 cup crabmeat or deli crab salad
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium bowl of water
- 1 bottle furikake (seaweed rice sprinkler)
- 2 tablespoons red pickles ginger (for garnish)
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- Make the rice (See recipe Above).
- Cover the bamboo mat in plastic wrap.
- Cut a piece of Nori in half
- Cut up some avocado, cucumber and cream cheese.
- Place the ½ nori sheet at the end of the mat (toward you).
- Spread a small handful of sushi rice on the nori sheet, leaving a ¼ of an inch on either side.
- Shake on some furikake or sesame seeds.
- Flip the whole thing over (yes it's sticky enough that it's possible).
- Place one slice avocado, cucumber, crab meat, and mayonnaise or cream cheese (thin slice) along the middle of the roll.
- Roll gently with even pressure.
- Cut roll in half.
- Align the 2 halves and cut twice into 6 even pieces.
- Arrange the sushi on a platter and serve.
Thank you for joining me tonight! I'll be back soon with more recipes. I can't guarantee what day that will be (this week is super busy for me), but I'll definitely be back sometime this week. Stay tuned, and I'll catch you on the flip side!
~Mandie
