Sushi

Some say sushi is best served for two  at a sushi bar,  with the sushi chef giving you all his attention and simple yet exotic selections of fresh fish and a very expensive tab.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/opinion/15corson.html?_r=1&ex=1185336000&en=2c009287563cbe77&ei=5070&emc=eta1

I say sushi is best served by your expert sushi chef husband to a crowd of eager participants willing to learn the techniques of rolling sushi  in the comfort of your home at a dinner party….  All for around $40 for 6 people.

If you are lucky, someone will clean up for you too!

Sushi

sushi rice 3 cups rinsed and cooked according to package instructions (can be found in Ethnic or Rice section)

1 cup rice wine vinegar (found in the Ethnic section of your grocer)

Nori – seaweed sheets (can be found in the Ethnic section or sushi section of you shop at Publix in Florida)

sushi grade tuna (definitely fish market find, don’t skimp here or you’ll end up with a parasite)

tempura shrimp (you can find this in the freezer section with the shrimp all stretched out instead of curled)

orange fish eggs (you can usually find this at fish markets)

artificial crab

smoked salmon slices

1 box cream cheese, chilled in freezer for 1 hour before use and cut lengthwise (helps with cutting)

1/2  cup mayo

Sirachi (red chili hot sauce which can be found at most grocers or Asian stores or other hot sauce of choice)

1 avocado, peeled and cut lengthwise

1 cucumber, peeled and cut lengthwise

couple of asparagus  stalks tossed in boiling water for a few minutes then tossed in ice water to stop the cooking process. (Makes them crisp but cooked)

1 small bowl of water for finger dipping (the rice gets sticky!)

1 bamboo sushi roller (We use bamboo placemats that we had.  You can get rollers in Asian stores, I think

Condiments:

pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce all can be found in the Ethnic section of your grocer.

____________________________________________________________________________

1.  Combine cooked rice and rice wine vinegar and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

2.  Cut all fish ingredients into long thin slices, about the size of a red licorice stick.  The crab you can leave as is.

3.  Mix some shredded crab with mayo, fish eggs and sirachi to taste to get a consistency like chicken or tuna salad and set aside.

4.  Wash hands.  Lay one sheet of Nori on a bamboo sushi roller mat.

5.  Dip fingers in water before starting and as needed.

6.  Spread thin layer of sushi rice with fingers on 1 sheet of Nori leaving about one centimeter of Nori plain (without rice) on one of the short ends.  This helps seal the sushi roll

7.  Lay whatever fish and vegetable choices you would like on the other short end of the Nori sheet.

Combination ideas include:

• tuna and cucumber  and a dap of sirachu sauce for spicy tuna roll

• salmon and cream cheese for bagel roll

• tempura shimp and whatever for mexican roll

• You get the picture!  Do whatever you want.  Be creative and thoughtful of what would taste good together
• Keep vegetarians in mind and make some veggie rolls
  

8.  Use roller to assist tucking the side with fish and veggies over and rolling tightly until you can seal the rice free flap with a little dab of water.

9.  Use a very sharp knife to cut into slices

10.  Add the crab and mayo mixture on top for a special ‘volcano’ roll.

__________________________________________________________________________

It may be hard to visualize and I wish I had taken some pictures of the step process to include.

We’ve thrown two sushi dinner parties in the last month and they were so much fun and the products are delicious!

Let me know how it goes if you try it.