Sushi Rolls Maki Sushi Hosomaki Food

FUTOMAKI (MAKI SUSHI / EHOMAKI)

Steps:

• Start cooking rice and follow my sushi rice recipe here. Cover the prepared sushi rice with a damp cloth at all times to prevent it from drying.
• In a bowl (or a measuring cup), add dried shiitake mushrooms and water and let them soak for 15 minutes. Place a smaller bowl on top so that mushrooms will stay submerged.
• In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Quickly rinse the kanpyo in running water and drain. Rub kanpyo with salt. Rinse and drain well.
• When the water is boiling cook kanpyo for 3 minutes. Transfer to iced water to stop the cooking process and squeeze water out.
• When the shiitake mushrooms are soft and tender, cut off and discard the stem. Strain the shiitake liquid through a fine sieve to get rid of small unwanted bits.
• If the reserved shiitake liquid is not 1 cup (240 ml), add water till you have 1 cup.
• In a medium saucepan, put the kanpyo and mushrooms, and the reserved shiitake liquid.
• Add sugar, mirin, and soy sauce to the saucepan.
• Bring it to boil and once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook until most of liquid is gone, about 20-30 minutes.
• Cut the shiitake mushrooms to very thin slices and squeeze the water out.
• Squeeze the water out from kanpyo and cut it into 8 inches (20 cm) length, which is about the same size as the nori sheet.
• Now shiitake and kanpyo are ready to use. You can make this ahead of time and store them in the fridge for a couple of days.
• Make one tamagoyaki (I have two versions: tamagoyaki or sweeter atsuyaki tamago). You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator to save time.
• Cut tamagoyaki into long strips. Keep them in the fridge until they are ready to use.
• Unagi is typically already cooked/broiled when you purchase it. All you need to do is reheat in the oven. Set your oven to broil (high - 550ºF/290ºC) and preheat for 3 minutes. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray oil on the aluminum foil and place the unagi on top. Put the baking sheet in the middle rack of your oven and broil for 5-7 minutes (no need to flip). Cut into 4 long strips.
• Tie the stems with cooking twine to keep them from being untied while cooking. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add 1 tsp salt and blanch mitsuba or spinach just enough to tender. Do not overcook.
• Soak the blanched mitsuba in iced water and squeeze the water out. Set aside.
• Cut off the end and cut into quarter length-wise and remove the seeds. Set aside.
• Open the package and put it in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Gather all the ingredients. Prepare Tezu (finger dipping water) by combining ¼ cup water and 2 tsp rice vinegar.
• Place a bamboo sushi mat on the working surface or cutting board. Then place a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat, shiny side down. Divide sushi rice into quarters. Dip your fingers in Tezu, and put ¼ of sushi rice on nori and spread evenly with your fingers. Make sure to wet your fingers with Tezu when you do this. Spread the rice evenly; otherwise, your sushi roll won't look even when rolled.
• Leaving about a ½ inch (1.5 cm) strip along the top of nori farthest away from you. You don't put the rice till the end because after you roll, the white rice could come out from the seam and it won't look pretty.
• Place the cucumber toward the bottom of nori. Front ingredients will need to go over the other ingredients. Therefore I recommend putting easy-to-hold ingredients toward the front, and put Sakura Denbu and Shiitake toward the top so the pieces won't fall down when you roll.
• From the bottom end (of sushi rice), start rolling nori sheet over the filling tightly and firmly with bamboo mat until the bottom end reaches the end of sushi rice on top. Use your fingers to hold the ingredients when you roll.
• Hold the top of the bamboo mat with one hand and hold the rolled bamboo mat with the other hand and pull against each other to tighten the roll. Lift the bamboo mat and continue to roll. Place the bamboo mat over the roll and tightly squeeze. Continue to make the rest of the rolls.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut the Futomaki in half first. Every slice or every other slice, wipe the knife with a wet kitchen cloth so that you can cut nicely.
• Then cut each half into 3 pieces.

BASIC (THIN) ROLLS (HOSO-MAKI)

Steps:

• Cut the nori in half lengthwise. Place one half on the rolling mat. Wet fingers and palms with rice vinegar and place about 1/2 cup rice on nori, spreading it evenly and flat, and leaving a blank strip at the top of the nori about 1/2-inch wide. (Optional: Smear a line of wasabi evenly across the rice a little below the center.) Place fillings of choice evenly across the rice a little below the center (or on the line of wasabi). Lift the end of the mat closest to you, and press down on the rolling mat to stabilize. Roll the mat almost one complete turn, making sure it does not become part of the roll and that the nori goes under the rice. Roll in the shape of a cylinder.
• Cut each roll into 4 or 6 equal slices, dampening the cutting knife between each slice by running it across a cloth dampened with rice vinegar.
• Rinse rice in water until the water runs clear and then drain in a colander for 1 hour. Place the drained rice in a rice cooker or in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and add 4 cups water. Over medium heat, cover and bring the water to a boil. Boil for about 2 minutes, reduce heat and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, or until water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, remove lid, and place a towel over pot. Replace lid and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the rice cooks, combine vinegar, sugar and remaining 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Heat over low temperatures, stirring, until sugar and salt dissolve. Let cool.
• Empty rice into a hangiri (or other nonmetallic) tub and spread it evenly over the bottom with a shamoji (or large wooden spoon). Run the spatula through the rice in slicing motions to separate the grains. While doing this, slowly add vinegar mixture. Add only as much as is necessary; the rice should not be mushy. If you have help, fan the rice with an uchiwa (fan) during the cooling and mixing procedures.
• Do not refrigerate the rice. Keep it in the tub covered with a clean cloth until ready to use. The rice will last one day.