Making Sushi is actually not as complicated as one might think. I learned to make Sushi in the Dominical Republic, out of all places! One afternoon I signed up for the class along with a few global trotters who were vacationing at the beach and wanted to invigorate their desires for learning a new skill.
The chef at an Asian restaurant gave us a brief demonstration, then let us make our own Sushi.
Here are the essentials…
You need the right tools – A rolling mat, wooden bowl, stainless steel Sushi knife,
Stock your cabinet – Sushi rice, Wasabi, Black Sesame, Soy Sauce, Ponzu Sauce, Vinegar
Get the cut right – Fresh sushi grade fish, Avocado, Cucumbers – all should be cut finely
Roll it up – Nori sheets, A bowl of water
Prep Work…
Cook the sushi rice (always short grain) with water, rice vinegar, salt and sugar
Slice the fish finely
Chop the vegetables according to the recipe
Step by Step instructions…
Learning to make Sushi in the Caribbean
1. Lay the Nori on the rolling mat with the rough side facing upwards.
2. Wet your hands and make about a handful of rice into a ball. It’s important to keep your hands wet while working with sushi rice because it is sticky. When you work with the nori though, you should keep them as dry as you can.
3. Gently put the rice ball in the middle of the nori sheet, and start spreading it equally on the nori, creating a layer of rice covering almost the entire sheet except the upper margin of about 2 cm that should be kept uncovered. Be careful not to compress the rice, but merely spread it over the nori.
4. Place a slice of fish on the edge of the nori, along with 1-3 pre-cut slices of vegetable.
5. Using the closer edge of the rolling mat, close on the filling with the nori making a rectangular shaped hill and tighten it from above.
6. Continue rolling in the rectangular hill steps, keeping it tight with every move until you reach the end of the nori. Put pressure on the roll from all three sides at all time, especially on stops to allow it to roll tightly.
7. Use a wet, sharp knife to cut the roll in to little sushi 6-8 units per roll.
