SUSHI for Sachiko's book

This is my 3rd entry for our food moly exchange. A girl day dreaming of eating sushi. (chopsticks not included). ;-)

here's a version from the food network channel

Sushi Rice

4 1/2 cups water

3 cups Japanese rice, (Nishiki)

1 cup sugar

salt, to taste

1 cup to 2 cups Japanese rice wine vinegar

Preparing Sushi

10 sushi nori sheets

wasabi, to taste, plus more for serving

soy, sauce, to taste, plus more for serving

pickled ginger for garnish

Optional Ingredients

cucumber, peeled, cut into small pieces

avocado, cut into small pieces

imitation crab meat

carrot, peeled, julienne cut

shiitake mushroom, cut into small pieces

smoked salmon

fresh tuna, sushi-grade, cut into small pieces

green onion, julienne cut

tuna salad

cooked shrimp, cut into small pieces

mayonnaise

chili sauce

sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Sushi Rice

Stir the water, rice, sugar and salt together in a rice cooker (or cook in a pot) until salt and sugar are dissolved.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer rice for about 20 minutes or until done.

Transfer the rice to a large bowl, preferably with a flat bottom.

Fluff the rice with a wet wooden spoon to loosen grains without crushing them.

Pour 1 cup of the vinegar over the rice.

Stir and fluff rice, incorporating the vinegar as evenly as possible.

Ask someone to stand by the rice bowl and fan the rice with a magazine while you are mixing, or use an electric fan.

Add more vinegar as necessary to coat the rice.

Cool to room temperature.

Preparing Sushi

Lay a piece of nori on a sushi mat. Press a thin layer of rice evenly on top of the nori.

Spread a dab of wasabi over the rice.

Sprinkle with some soy sauce.

Lay a few pieces of 1 or several of the optional ingredients in a horizontal straight thin line across the rice, about 1 inch from the horizontal edge closest to you.

Using the mat to make a tight roll, roll the edge closest to you over the optional filling as tightly as possible.

Continue rolling away from you until a roll has formed.

Remove the sushi roll from the sushi mat and slice it cross-wise into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Serve it with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.