Hosomaki (slender rolls)

Hosomaki (slender rolls)

The turkey, ham and Christmas pudding are history. Anna Trapido suggests a return to simple, healthy eating.Christmas is wonderful but the indolence of the post-pudding state leaves most of us desperate for culinary simplicity. It is at such moments that a yen for sushi makes itself felt…

 

Westerners often equate sushi with raw fish but the Japanese term for raw fi sh is ‘sashimi’ whereas ‘sushi’ is a broad gastronomic category in which vinegar-infused, cold boiled rice is either topped with seafood (nigiri sushi) or combined with vegetables or fish and wrapped in seaweed (maki sushi).As with any other culinary adventure, sushi making is as complicated as you choose to make it.

At the higher end of the endeavor it is an art form requiring almost a decade of training (during which time the aspirant sushi maker spends an entire year spent learning the secrets of specialist rice preparation). But don’t be put off . There are many simple sushi recipes that can be carried out in a domestic setting. What follows is the beginners guide to ultra-simple sushi.

Sushi shopping

The initial investment required for sushi manufacture is minimal. We all have bowls, boards and colanders. Hence, a bamboo rolling mat (sudarè) and perhaps a sharp flexible knife are the only new bits of kit that you will require. The ingredients are similarly simple. Sushi shopping need stretch no further than rice vinegar (su), soy sauce (muraski), pickled ginger (gari), horseradish (wasabi), seaweed (nori), rice (gohamono) and seafood.

Sushi snags
At the beginners level there are only two real technical errors possible; you might mess up the rice or (much more likely) mangle the fi sh. Sushi requires the Japonica short grain rice. Don’t try and use any other rice type – only Japonica’s round, fat grains have the requisite texture and taste. Once you have the right rice the cooking method is as easy as pie. Conversely, preparing fish for sushi is hard. Even at a basic level fish cutting is a skilled job which diff ers according to the fish that you are working with.

Practicing can be a pricey exercise because only the best quality fi sh will do. Beginners often find it easiest to start with shrimp, sea urchins, crab sticks and oysters rather than trying to slice fish proper. If you feel that you need a challenge, the basic technique requires that a super fresh, boneless, rectangular block of fish be sliced on the diagonal into smaller rectangular slivers. Always remember to dip your knife blade into rice vinegar and to cut across the grain.

Hosomaki (slender rolls)

Serves 4
Hosomaki have between one and three
fillings so are relatively simple to make.

SHARI

460g short grain, sushi rice
750ml water
75ml rice vinegar
15ml mirin rice wine
45ml white sugar
30ml salt

Wash the rice repeatedly until the water runs
clear. Drain and place it in a pot with new water.
Top with a tight fitting lid and bring to the boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for
5 minutes. Do not remove the lid. Lower the heat
even further and steam for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat, take off the lid and cover the
pot with a tea towel for 15 minutes.
In a separate pot combine vinegar, mirin, sugar
and salt and gently cook over a low heat stirring
occasionally until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Set aside to cool.
Spread the cooked rice out on a tea tray and sprinkle
over the vinegar mixture. Run a spatula through it so
that the mixture is well incorporated into the rice.


ROLLING HOSOMAKI

500g vinegared rice
5 sheets nori seaweed
rice vinegar
wasabi
Fillings of choice – anything from crab
stick, salmon, tuna to cucumber
Place the nori on the rolling mat, shiny side down.
Wet your hands with rice vinegar and spread half
cup of shari on the seaweed.
Flatten gently.
Keep approximately 1cm free from rice on all edges.
Spread a transverse, thin wasabi layer about 2cm in from the bottom edge of the rice. Place the fillings of choice on top of the wasabi.
Wet the exposed ends of the seaweed with vinegar.
Roll the bamboo mat (and consequently the rice and
seaweed) tightly. With each roll press firmly to ensure that the seaweed will stick when the roll is complete.
< Use a knife moistened with vinegar to slice six even pieces per roll.

Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and gari ginger.