Think of a Japanese home cook, and the name Harumi Kurihara
usually comes to mind. She’s often described as the Martha Steward of Japan –
with her homemaking and cooking empire as well as a cookbook prize are just few
of her numerous accolades.
And while the winter is dragging on and I’ve become slightly
more familiar with even the most unfamiliar of Japanese ingredients, I’ve decided to embrace the Japanese seasonal
produce and our limited time in Japan and follow all of Miss Kurihara’s recipes
on her famous NHK TV show, My Japanese
Kitchen.
So here goes, Day 1;
On the menu:
Rice
Inside-Out Sushi
Rolls (Uramaki Zushi)
 |
| Uramaki Zushi |
The verdict:
Because I’m always pressed on time when cooking dinner, a
rice cooker comes in very handy! The Japanese rice comes out very fluffy using
this method, even when I cook the rice on a covered pot. The rice is always
soft and tastes delicious. I always believe it is essential to properly wash
the rice and allow some standing time or time for the rice to soak up some
extra moisture.
For the sushi - the vinegar flavoured rice is absolutely
delicious. The taste is slightly sweet and tangy and it complements the
saltiness of the nori and the fish.
The addition of the shiso (or mint) to the sushi creates a
deeper taste to the sushi and it does complement the savoury taste of the
sushi.
It is a bit tricky to roll sushi, but it becomes easier with
practice. The trick is to keep even pressure on the sushi and to not fill the
roll with too many ingredients.
Today sushi isn’t new to most people in the West, yet the
tastes different greatly in Japan. For once, sushi is usually served with
wasabi inside the sushi roll, unless it’s specified otherwise. And what
Westerners call “maki”, actually doesn’t exist in Japan. Sushi is usually either
sashimi slices, gunkan (open nori parcels filled with rice and fish) or nigiri
(a round, oblong piece of rice topped with wasabi and a piece of sashimi. And
tastes in Japan are, of course, more for a Japanese palate – things like raw
octopus, sea urchin, clams, natto (fermented soybeans), pickled tuna etc are
used.
As for etiquette, sashimi should at all times be eaten with
chopsticks, where sushi rolls can be eaten by hand, even if it is in a more
formal setting. Also, never throw too much soy sauce over the sushi or add too
much wasabi – this is like throwing ketchup all over your steak…
Well, that’s it for today! The recipes (adjusted from the original ones) are below.
Itadakimasu! いただきます
The recipes:
Rice (Serves 4)
The “Right Way” to
cook rice
A good rule of thumb when cooking Japanese rice is to add
one cup of water for every cup of rice. If you want a little more chewy rice,
add a little bit less water. If you want softer rice, add a little bit more
water.
Ingredients:
2 cups of rice
2 cups of fresh water
1.
Put the rice in a colander. Rinse and rub the
rice under running water. (I usually put
the colander in a bowl and fill the bowl with water. Then swirl the rice around
in the water until the water becomes white. Discard the milky water and repeat
the process until the water runs clear).
2.
Leave the rice to stand for about 10 minutes.
 |
| Putting rice in a colander is an easy way to clean rice |
3.
Put the rice in a heavy bottomed pot (or rice
cooker).
4.
Add one cup of cold water for every cup of rice
(so this recipe calls for 2 cups of water).
5.
If you are using a rice cooker, simply press “Cook”
.
If you are using a stove and a pot, place
the pot on high heat and allow the water to boil. As soon as the water boils,
lower the heat and place the lid on the pot. Simmer for 12 minutes.
6.
After 12 minutes, remove the pot from the heat
and left covered for about 10 minutes.
7.
Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork
before serving.
 |
| Our very useful rice cooker - for every cup of rice add one cup of water |
Uramaki Zushi (makes
enough for 4)
This is a fantastic starter and it is a good way to use rice, even some leftover rice.
 |
| Inside Out Rolls - not beautifully done, but I'm getting there! |
|
| I loved the taste of the sesame on the rice |
Ingredients:
For the filling:
Canned tuna, drained and mixed with pepper and mayonnaise.
OR
Salmon (smoked or regular), thinly sliced and deboned
OR
Imitation crab sticks
Avocado (peeled, pitted and sliced into thin slices)
Mayonnaise
Shiso leaves (or substitute with finely chopped mint)
Toasted nori seaweed (available at most Asian supermarkets)
Roasted Sesame Seeds (white)
For the sushi rice:
Cook the rice with
less water for a more chewy texture
2 cups cooked white, short grain rice
100ml vinegar
1tsp salt
3Tbsp sugar
1.
Place the vinegar in a pot and allow it to
simmer on medium heat.
2.
Remove from heat and dissolve the sugar and salt
in the vinegar. Allow to cool.
3.
Mix the vinegar with rice using a large handai (a wooden sushi tub) or a wide
cooking bowl.
4.
Use a paper fan to cool down the rice (this also
adds a slight shine to the rice). Allow to cool.
 |
| Rice in a wide cooking bowl (traditionally a handai is used) |
 |
| Pouring the vinegar over the rice |
Assembling the sushi:
1.
Place a bamboo rolling mat on a sturdy surface.
(The bamboo should lay lengthwise)
2.
Place some baking paper on the bamboo mat. Place
the nori sheets on the baking paper (the “rough side” should be facing up, and
the “smooth side” should be laying on the baking paper).
 |
| Rice added on the nori sheets |
3.
Put the rice vinegar rice on the nori sheets and
evenly spread it out. Use water and your hands to even out the rice.
4.
By lifting the baking paper, gently turn the
rice and the nori over (so that the nori sheets face up).
 |
| The nori sheets have been flipped over, with the rice facing down |
5.
A little below the halfway point of the rice,
make a thin line of fish (crabmeat, tuna salad or salad). Once again, the line
should be horizontal. Add some shiso leaves (or mint) and avocado on top of the
fish. Finally add some mayonnaise on top of the avocado.
 |
| Tuna salad and avocado filling |
6.
Now roll the sushi – using the end of the bamboo
mat closest to you, tightly roll the rice over the filling by making a square shaped “hill” over the
filling. Continue rolling the sushi until you reach the end of your bamboo mat.
Gently press the completely rolled sushi on all sides.
 |
| Rolling the very big sushi roll |
7.
Now spread some sesame seeds on a bread plank or
any clean working surface and roll the sushi roll in some sesame seeds. Be
careful not to roll too loosely or too tightly as the filling might fall out.
8.
Finally, cut your sushi in equal pieces using a very
sharp knife.
Serve with some wasabi and soy sauce, if preferred.
