How-To Guide: Sushi Made Easy
What do people eat in Japan? That's right: sushi. Contrary to popular belief though, this tasty dish didn't actually originate in the Land of the Rising Sun — it was first used as a method for preserving food in Southeast Asia. That said, the Japanese have made sushi an art form and there are now thousands of varieties to choose from. Here's a simple selection that should keep everybody happy!
You'll Need:
- 9 oz sushi rice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- black & white sesame seeds
For the topping:
- strips of salmon
- avocado
- shrimp
- cream cheese
- mayonnaise
Here's how:
- Wash the rice in a pot of water. Next, pour out the water. Add fresh water to the pot so that there are two parts water to one part rice. Cook the rice at a low heat for six to eight minutes. The rice should soak up all the water.
- Now transfer the rice to a bowl. Stir the rice vinegar, sugar and salt together in a separate bowl. Before adding the vinegar mix to the rice, microwave it at 800 W for 40 seconds. This will allow the rice to absorb the vinegar mix more efficiently. Finish by stirring in the sesame seeds.
- Now it's time to prepare the toppings. Start by covering an ice cube tray with food wrap. Next, fill each mold with either a strip of salmon, a slither of avocado or a shrimp. Each strip of salmon then gets a teaspoon of cream cheese, while the shrimp are garnished with a teaspoon of mayonnaise. It's best to use a potato peeler to create the slithers of avocado.
- To finish, the molds are filled with the rice and placed in the fridge for 30 minutes. Carefully turn the sushi out of the mold and onto a plate for serving.
This is a dish that even sushi novices can try. Who knew that making sushi could be so easy? Enjoy!