Japanese Sushi Rolls - by Philip Lam
Japanese food is almost always low in fat, and these beautifully presented sushi rolls are no exception. Each sushi roll contains only 0.4g fat, and 1mg cholesterol. These days you can easily pick up the ingredients in a local supermarket and it is very easy to make them at home. Please remember, you must use sushi rice, which will be sticky once cooked!
Ingredients
- 40g deseeded cucumber - chopped very finely
- sushi nori - 4 sheets
- 120g smoked salmon
- 300g sushi rice
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 spring onions, very finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Wasabi paste
- pickled ginger to garnish
- Soy sauce to serve
Cooking Instructions
Cook the sushi rice in boiling water - refer to pack for cooking times.
While the rice is cooking, put the sugar and rice wine vinegar in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Once the rice is cooked, drizzle the sugar/vinegar mixture over it and add the spring onions and chopped cucumber. Cover with a cloth and leave to cool.
Divide the rice into four portions. Slice the salmon into 1cm wide strips. Place a sheet of nori (shiny side down) on a bamboo mat. You can use a sheet of baking parchment but bamboo will be easier if you have it. Spread one of the four rice portions over the nori. Press it down evenly, leaving a 1cm gap around each side.
Now place one quarter of the salmon along the center of the layer of rice. Spread 1/2 teaspoon of wasabi paste on the salmon. Using the bamboo mat, roll up the nori tightly. You should roll it as tightly as you can to ensure the sticky rice holds everything together. Repeat the above steps to create 3 more rolls.
Use a wet knife to cut each roll into eight equal sized slices, standing them upright on a serving plate. Rinse the knife between each cut. Garnish with pieces of pickled ginger and a small dish of soy sauce.
