Saturday, February 13, 2016

California sushi 101

Hello, everybody! We were craving fresh sushi and since we live in the middle of verifiable nowhere, we have to make it ourselves. I decided to take some pictures in case anybody has enjoyed sushi but thought it was hard to make. It's really, really not. Plus, it keeps in the fridge for several days, and the ingredients are great for families on a budget. I first made sushi in college and my kids have grown up making sushi rolls at home. We've experimented with a few different kinds, but we always come back to California rolls. 
We like the fresh ingredients. No raw tuna, here! Or maybe it's just easier to find the various veggies and such.
So, let's start!
A pack of sushinori seaweed sheets, rice vinegar, and good quality rice. All of these can be found in your local grocery store. (I'm positive. Really. If WE have them, YOU have them. Unless you're a one stop-light town. We're a two stop-light town and we've got seaweed, and it's certainly not because of our large Asian population.)
Bamboo mats are in most kitchen stores an Walmart and on Amazon. Usually about $6. You don't really need one. You can use plastic wrap or foil, but they do work better. 
We usually use fake crab (because the kids like it better and it's already in the package) but crabs are in season on our coast and this fresh beauty was only $5.99! My son loves to clean them so I let him take care of that part. Maybe I'll post a tutorial on crab cleaning? Hmmmm...
One cucumber, several carrots, fake crab, and avocado. Cut into slices.
Real crab. Mmmmm....
 Mix 12 TBS rice veingar, 9 TBS sugar, and 3 TBS salt in a pot and warm (stirring frequently) until everything is dissolved.Boil the rice according to the directions. Pour the liquid over the HOT cooked rice. This is what gives sushi rice that delicious sweet/sour flavor.
Here's the tricky part. You want each grain coated with the mixture, and how this is achieved is to mix the rice in a folding motion, while fanning with a stiff paper (or a school notebook, as is the case here). You can do it yourself, but if you're not so coordinated, it's always better to have one person fan and the other fold. After about five minutes of gentle folding, the vinegar mix should be absorbed into the rice.
Lay the nori on the mat. Inhale deeply. MMMMM...
So, first step is to cut your nori sheets in half. They should snap apart easily if they're fresh out of the package. 
 Here's the thing... California roll has the seaweed on the INSIDE. Pat rice in a thin layer onto the seaweed sheet. Have a small bowl of water nearby to dip your fingers in or you'll end up with rice EVERYWHERE.
 If you're making a normal sushi roll, the seaweed would stay on the outside but again, it's California roll so we're going to flip the rice over onto some foil that we've put on top of the sushi mat (we don't wan rice in the sushi mat, it's a pain to clean) and build the ingredients into the inside.
 Lay cucumber, carrot, crab, avocado in a line. Not very much because you've only got half a sheet to make the roll. (The bigger the sheet, the fatter the roll.)
                                                         
Roll gently and slowly. It's not hard and with practice, it really takes about 2 minutes to assemble. But I'm uncoordinated so I go slowly.
 Once it's rolled together, carefully remove the foil. (Like a jelly roll!)
                                
They can be wrapped in plastic and put in the fridge at this point. They'll keep for a day or two (probably more) and they're great for bringing to a party, assembling in the kitchen and bringing them out. Lots easier than hauling around platters of sushi.
                                                 
And just in case anyone wants to make the rice on the inside, you can do it really easily an skip thats the of the extra foil and the flipping over.
                                                   
The cutting works the same way, but if the nori is on the outside, it's easier to cut if you dip the knife in very hot water before each cut.
                                                       
Here is a traditional roll (same ingredients, but seaweed on the outside).
                                               
California roll! (But I ran out of sesame seeds, so just imagine a coating of sesame seeds on the outside.) Dip in soy sauce and wasabi for best results!

OK, that's all for now. I caught a bad cold right after our stomach virus so I am DRAGGING myself around. But I know it's all temporary and fleeting and soon we'll all be right as rain. :) Take care, have some sushi, and see you all next time!


15 comments:

  1. Ah, sorry you aren't feeling well. Winter colds. Bah! Hope you feel better soon. As to the sushi, I've never had it. I've never understood the appeal. It just seems like a lot of work to go through to eat raw veggies. LOL But that's just vegetarian me. And I know they have vegetarian sushi but I still think I'd just eat the rice and raw veggies separately.

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    1. See, it's not just rice and veggies. The rice vinegar, sugar and salt mixture gives the sushi a really unique flavor. Think sweet and sour sauce on your stir fry instead of just stir fry. And the seaweed is packed with vitamins and minerals... and has a deliciously unqiue flavor, too!
      For sure, if we want rice and veggies, we make some rice and throw on veggies. LOL

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  2. I love California rolls! When my grad school roommate went home with me over Thanksgiving one semester, she taught us to make these. I've enjoyed them ever since at restaurants. My kids are crazy about sushi. I should encourage them to try making it themselves. Wait, I think my son did make some in the dorm last year! :)

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    1. It's really easy! There was a sushi restaurant in a town about an hour from us but it closed before I had a chance to get there. GRRRR. But my sister has a sushi restaurant in her town (2.5 hours from me) and I've vowed to go some day when we're down visiting.
      We made this a few weeks ago and looking at the pictures again makes me want... sushi. LOL

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    2. I should probably admit I prefer soy wraps over seaweed. :)

      Our mall food court actually has a sushi place that's really good! I was a little terrified to try it the first time, but it was yummy.

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    3. I've never had that soy wraps? Is it just a different flaor? (Well, I'm sure it is.) And I admit it can get very strong. I just focus on the vitamins, lol, like I do when I eat cabbage. :P

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    4. The soy wraps don't have that fishy/seafoody taste. So you do lose some of the flavor. But I like it better. :)

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  3. Honestly. I had no idea who posted sushi. I am shocked. I am amazed. I am drooling.

    Now I wish I hadn't put the pot roast in.

    My life for a California roll.

    OH MY GOSH.

    OH MY GOSH.

    I want sushi now.

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    1. Tina, ask hubby for a Valentine's date and go get some. :)

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    2. Super easy! And healthy. And a togetherness activity because someone has to fan the rice while you stir. :)

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  4. I'm not a fan of the seaweed, but oh, I want some of that crab - the real kind. I love love love crab cakes.

    I'm really impressed though, MaryJane. I had no idea that was how sushi was rolled.

    Cool!

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    1. It was a whole lot easier than a jelly roll! And we should have had leftover crab but we did not because we were nibbling! And if you don't mind the cleaning, crab is much cheaper than a whole chicken here. Unfortunately, the whole family doesn't love crab where everyone loves chicken. *sigh*

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  5. Wow, you are adventurous and brave. Looks great.

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    1. Nothing brave about it! Now, octopus soup I made one time and that was really adventurous. Ugh.

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  6. I made it over on Saturday, got interrupted (imagine that!) and then forgot to come back... and this is fascinating! I've always wondered about how sushi was made, and heard the layering process was absolutely artful and it is!

    Cool beans, Mary Jane!

    I'm laughing at the jelly roll comment. I make them all the time, all kinds, and that's crazy easy for me... whereas this looks like Ruth-Takes-The-Kitchen-Class 101! Thank you for sharing this!

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