Recipe: Homemade sushi is soy much fun!

A sushi night was something Tom and I had been meaning to do for ages, but we kept putting it off because it seemed like such a palaver. Then, last weekend, we discovered it was actually a lot easier than we thought it was going to be and definitely worth the effort.

We grabbed a bamboo mat, dug out some chopsticks and made a delicious selection of sushi: prawn maki, tuna maki, smoked salmon maki, and prawn & asparagus uramaki.

To make maki sushi, you will need the following ingredients:

• A filling of your choosing – e.g. prawn, tuna, smoked salmon, asparagus, avocado, peppers, cucumber, crab.
• A hairdryer (all will be explained…)
• A bamboo mat
• Cling film
• Nori – 3 sheets
• Sushi rice – three cups
• Water – three cups
• Rice vinegar – 120ml
• Sugar – 3tbsp
• Sea salt – 1 tbsp

The first step is to cook the rice (this is where the hairdryer comes in!) Pop the rice into a sieve and wash it several times until the water runs clear. Depending on the timescale you’re working to, drain the rice and soak it in cold water for an hour or two – if you’re in a rush, then half an hour is fine. Afterwards, put the rice into a pan with an equal volume of water and bring to the boil. Then, put it on the lowest heat, pop the lid on and let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. When the time is up, all the water should be fully absorbed. Put the rice into a flat-based bowl and add the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Then (this is the odd part) plug your hairdryer in, put it on a low/cold setting and place it over the rice to cool it down.

When your rice is done, the fun begins! If you are using a bamboo mat, cover it in cling film – do this carefully and make sure it is tight, as it stops the rice from getting stuck in the grooves of the mat! Place the nori along the bottom half of the mat. 

Scoop half a handful of rice with either a spoon or your hands (if you’re using your hands, have a bowl of cold water handy to stop the rice sticking to your fingers). Place the rice in a thin, even layer all over the sheet, but leave 5-7cm at the bottom of the sheet clear.

This is the part when you can decide which ingredients you would like in your maki. For our sushi, we didn’t have to do much prep, we only had to steam the asparagus and sear the tuna. When you have chosen your roll filling, cut it into thin slices and place it down the middle of the nori in a neat line.

Now you’re ready to roll, eek!

Start rolling with the mat from the bottom edge, do it slowly and carefully, little by little. Keep opening the mat to make sure it is rolled tightly, with no gaps. When you reach the end of the nori, remove it from the mat and pop it in the fridge for around 20 to 30 minutes. Then, take it out and place it on a chopping board. Cut six to eight pieces and remember to rinse your knife under the tap after each slice – this will help you cut through the rice and the nori.

You now have maki sushi! Hurrah! Enjoy with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi. Yum!