Sushi Rice
Wash rice well in cold water and soak in fresh water for 30 minutes.

Steam rice in a rice cooker. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

Place rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan and stir over heat until sugar and salt dissolve.

Place into mixing bowl and pour evenly over the rice vinegar mixture. Mix in well with a cutting action, being careful not to squash the rice. Fan to cool.


To Assemble Nori Maki
Place 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on bamboo rolling mat.

Wet hands with rice vinegar and spread 230 g of rice on the nori evenly, without squashing the rice grains, leaving a border of 1cm along the long edge.

Place filling ingredients in the centre of the rice.

Dip index finger in rice vinegar and run along exposed edge of nori to moisten slightly.

Roll quite tightly, applying firm but gentle pressure, using mat to help you, into a squarish cylinder.

Slice into rounds.


Five Fillings

1. Kampyo (dried gourd shavings)
50g kampyo
200 ml dashi
3 tbsp sugar
2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake

Rub kampyo with salt, then wash in cold water. Parboil kampyo, refresh, and squeeze out excess water. Cook in a saucepan with remaining ingredients until tender.

2. Shiitake
10 dried shiitake mushrooms
250ml water
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake

Soak dried mushrooms in cold water until soft. Pour 50ml of the soaking liquid into a pot. Add soaked mushrooms, sugar, soy sauce and sake and cook until all the liquid evaporates.

3. Carrot
1 large carrot
200ml dashi
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp mirin

Peel carrot and cut lengthwise into long thin strips.
Parboil, and when slightly tender, drain. Cook in remaining ingredients until just tender.

4. Cucumber
4 Lebanese cucumbers

Slice cucumbers into thin strips. Use only the green outer parts of the cucumber, discarding the seeds.

5. Tamagoyaki (Rectangular Omelette)
6 eggs, beaten
50ml dashi
2 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
1 tsp mirin

Mix the dashi, sugar, mirin and soy sauce in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Pour into a bowl with eggs. Do not overbeat. Cook omelette in a square omelette pan. Leave to cool and cut into 6 strips.