WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO START

• Large bowl

• Heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid

• Towel

• Sharp knife

• Small saucepan

• Electric fan

• Wooden rice paddle

• Two x 5cm deep, full hotel pans, or other flat pans

CLASSIC SUSHI RICE

(for about 130 nigiri/maki sushi)

The quality of sushi is all in the rice. There are many different ways to prepare the rice for sushi, depending on the rice type and the personal taste of the chef. This authentic recipe was taught to us by a master sushi chef at the Culinary Institute of America in California. It takes time, but the results are exceptional. Please visit our website www.menurice.com and scroll over Recipes and Culinary Center to find demos, and view our cooking demonstration showing the preparation of sushi rice described here.

Ingredients

1kg U.S. sushi rice

About 1.3 litres of water depending on the rice brand you use

2g kombu (dried kelp, a form of seaweed that grows near Hokkaido island)

110g sugar

2 tbsp sea salt

220ml rice wine vinegar

 Method

1. Place the rice in a large bowl and cover with cool water. Gently stir the rice to release its starch; drain. Repeat with clean water 5 more times, until the water remains clear as the rice is stirred. Be careful not to break the rice, especially in the later washings when the rice will become more delicate. Cover with cool water and soak for 1 hour. Drain the rice well and combine the rice and the measured water in a heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Increase heat to high for 2 minutes, then turn down to medium and cook for a further 5 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and cook for 12 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, wrap the pot in a towel and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Score the kombu with a knife in a few places to release its flavour. Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth to remove any grit, but be careful not to wipe off all the dried sea salt. Combine the sugar, salt, vinegar and kombu in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. DO NOT let mixture boil. Cool to room temperature; remove kombu.

3. Set an electric fan on medium. Transfer the rice to two 5cm deep, full hotel pans, and set in front of the fan. Drizzle half the vinegar mixture over one pan of rice, and using a wooden rice paddle, cut and fold the rice with horizontal strokes to cool the rice and incorporate the vinegar mixture. Continue until the rice has cooled to slightly warmer than room temperature and has taken on a shiny appearance; repeat with remaining rice. When finished, combine the rice in one pan; cover with plastic wrap and begin to make the perfect sushi.

TIPS FOR SUSHI MAKING

• Use only U.S.-grown short or medium grain rice.

• Toast the seaweed (nori) first to crisp it and heighten its flavour.

• Keep your hands moistened with vinegared water while working with the rice to keep it from sticking.

• Be sparing with the wasabi you put between rice and fish on nigiri sushi. You don’t want to obliterate the flavour of the rice.

PRESENTATION

Sushi presentation follows three main aspects: Colour, Flavour and Texture.

Try to pick contrasting colours to ensure that the sushi dish appears vibrant and exciting, experiment with different vegetables and fish to give different textures and think of various spices to give added zing.

Ingredients can be crunchy, soft or chewy – be as creative as you want to be, you might even want to include certain types of nuts or seeds.

The quality of the ingredients should be second to none, and remember, simplicity is key to good presentation, if you over-laden the plate then it takes away the focus from the sushi.