Sushi

Step 1

Rinse the rice 3 times in cold running water and drain. Place into a lidded saucepan and add 375ml cold water.

Step 2

Bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Reduce to lowest heat possible, cover with tight fitting lid and cook until water is absorbed. Allow rice to stand, covered, for a further 5 minutes.

Step 3

With the exception of the seaweed and filling, mix other ingredients to make up sushi vinegar. Spread cooked rice in a large mixing bowl or baking tray and fold in the vinegar a little at a time, you might not need to use all the vinegar. Stop adding vinegar if rice starts to become mushy.

Step 4

Work in a cool room - the idea is to cool down the rice as quickly as possible without handling it too much.

Step 5

To make sushi: Remove one sheet of seaweed and cut in half or place lengthways onto sushi mat. Wet fingers with water and form a sausage with a small handful of rice.

Step 6

Place onto seaweed and press rice onto and up to the edge of the seaweed at one end, leaving a gap of about 2-3 cm at the other end. Fill lengthways with choice of filling, but not overfill and keep edges neat.

Step 7

Pick up sushi mat and roll away from body, firmly pressing rice, filling and seaweed into a sausage. Cut sushi into half and then into three to make six pieces.

Step 8

Unused seaweed (nori) should be kept in an airtight container.

Step 9

To serve: Serve sushi preferably with light Japanese soya sauce (which is slightly sweeter than Chinese soya sauce), wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and pickled ginger.

Step 10

The wasabi should be mixed into the soya sauce and the sushi dipped into the mixture.