Homemade Sushi

There is certainly no shortage of great sushi spots in NYC.  Whether dining at the acclaimed and renowned Nobu (which I do not frequent) or grabbing take-out from the hole-in-the-wall spot down the street from my apartment, I think it's safe to say I would willingly eat sushi at least 5 days a week. 

Flashback to State College, PA, home of my alma mater Penn State, where sushi was not quite as prevalent and the pure logistics of being in the middle of nowhere left me slightly uneasy about consuming anything aside from vegetable rolls! This inspired me to try my hand at making my own sushi and it has been a fun project to take on every now and then ever since. Although it can sometimes be a time consuming process, it is not that difficult of a culinary feat when you keep things simple as I like to. 

On a recent trip home, the sheer sight of ample counter space sparked my culinary inspiration and making sushi for my family was just one of the outcomes of escaping from my shoebox NYC kitchen. 

The recipe:

You will need:

Sushi mat and paddle

Nori

Short grained rice (they sell specific sushi rice in stores, but any short grained rice will work)

Rice vinegar

Sugar

Salt

Sushi fillings (suggested - tuna, salmon, avocado, cucumber, red pepper, green onion, cream cheese)

Sesame seeds, wasabi, pickled ginger (optional)

Preparing the rice

Rice aka kome (vinegared rice) 

- 2 cups kome + 2 cups water --> 3 3/4 cups cooked kome

Measure out the rice and wash in water to remove the excess starch. Drain, rinse and repeat until the water comes clear. Once clean, soak the rice for 15-20 minutes and then drain a final time.

Add to a saucepan with water (1 cup of water for each cup of rice). Cover and heat on medium until boiling, then simmer until water is almost all absorbed - about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with scraping paddle (shamoji). Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes, then transfer to a separate dish (if necessary, dip paddle in rice vinegar solution, below, and use to help release rice from saucepan).

Sushi Su - rice seasoning 

Combine 1/3 c. rice vinegar, 3 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp salt in saucepan and cook until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. 

Rice vinegar solution - use this to prevent the rice from sticking to fingers and paddle. Do not mix into rice. 

Combine 1/2 c. vinegar and 1 1/2 c. water

Mix the Sushi Su/rice seasoning into the rice (to taste). Fan to cool the rice - you will need to bring it to room temperature before rolling the sushi. Remember to dip the paddle and fingers in the rice vinegar solution as you go to remove the stickiness.  

Rolling the sushi

Slice all ingredients to desired size. If using sushi grade fish you will want to slice the pieces of fish against the grain.

Cover your rolling mat in plastic wrap. Lay piece of Nori, rough side up, on the mat. Using the paddle, scoop rice onto the Nori and spread around to make a thin layer. If rolling rice on the inside, leave ~1/2 inch at the top with no rice; if rolling rice on the outside, cover the Nori entirely with rice then flip over.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and then layer toppings about 1/2 inch from the end as desired. Start rolling the nori over the ingredients, ensuring that they stay in place. Continue to roll and release mat, squeezing into the shape of a roll or log. 

Allow the roll to set for a few minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice sushi into pieces. Clean knife with rice vinegar solution to make slicing easier. 

Enjoy sushi with wasabi and soy sauce.