Preparing
rice with a proper recipe – At Last! Serves
4 For the seasoning: Place the rice vinegar, sugar and salt into a heatproof glass jug or small saucepan and place over a very low heat. Stir gently until the sugar and salt have dissolved and the liquid has become clear. The flavours should balance, however, you may wish to adjust for personal preference. For the rice: One of the most important aspects of sushi making is the rice washing process... Place your dry rice in a saucepan (5 inch pan for 12 oz) 2) half fill with unmeasured water.With a cupped hand use your finger knuckles in a kneading action so the grains gently rub against one another to remove starch and to activate and wake up the grains to start taking on moisture. Repeat until the water becomes relatively clear. Rest the rice for 10 mins and add the measured water, mirin and konbu and place on a close fitting lid Bring to the boil and then remove the konbu. Replace lid and place on a low heat. Simmer for 20 mins. Remove from heat and set aside to rest for 10 mins with the lid on. DO NOT REMOVE LID DURING THIS TIME. Prepare a shallow, flat-bottomed container (Handai) by coating the surfaces with a little seasoning. Turn-out the rice into the handai taking care not to include the any rice from the bottom of the pan (as this is normally a little caramelised and is not used in sushi making). Using your sushi fan, rapidly cool the rice and add the seasoning a little at a time and using a small spatula, combine it into the rice using a cutting action. Break down any clumps of rice gently to make sure all grains are coated. The rice will become shiny and slightly translucent. Congratulations! your sushi rice (sumeshi) is now ready for forming into nigiri. For maki rolling allow your sushi rice to go cold before using Always have a bowl of water near you while you are processing rice through either nigiri or maki machines or whenever you are dealing with sushi rice as it is incredibly sticky so if you need to touch the rice use a damp hand. |