Makizushi

Ingredients

• 14⅛ ozsushi ricerinsed and cooked
• 2 cupswaterfor cooking the rice
• ¼ cupVinegarfor seasoning the rice
• 2 tbspsugardissolved in the vinegar
• 1½ tspsaltdissolved in the vinegar
• 6norihalved for thin rolls
• 1cucumberseeded, cut into thin sticks
• 4¼ ozsalmonsmoked or raw sushi-grade, cut into strips
• 1½ tspwasabispread thinly on the rice, plus extra for serving
• ⅓ cupsoy saucefor dipping
• 2⅛ ozpickled gingerfor serving
• 2¾ ozTunaraw sushi-grade, cut into strips (optional)
• 1avocadocut into strips (optional)
• 1 ozcarrotin very thin sticks, optionally blanched
• 1¾ ozgreen asparaguscut into thin strips (optional)
• 4crab stickscut into strips (optional)
• 2 tbspsesame seedsfor coating the roll (optional)
• 1Takuan (pickled daikon)cut into thin strips (optional)

Method

1. Rinse and soak the riceRinse the sushi rice in a bowl several times until the water runs clear, then drain it well. Put it in a pan with the water and leave it to soak for about 30 minutes.
2. Cook and rest the riceBring the rice to the boil, cover and cook over low heat for 10–12 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the rice rest, still covered, for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the sugar and salt into the rice vinegar until completely dissolved.
3. Season and cool the riceGently fold the vinegar mixture into the still-warm rice, taking care not to crush the grains. Spread the rice out flat and let it cool.
4. Prepare the fillingFor the filling, seed the cucumber and cut it into thin sticks, and cut the salmon into strips. If you like, cut tuna, avocado, carrot, green asparagus, crab sticks or takuan into long, narrow strips as well; very thin carrot sticks can be blanched briefly first.
5. Spread rice on the noriLay a nori sheet, halved for thin rolls, smooth side down on the bamboo mat. With damp hands, spread the rice thinly over it, leaving a 1–2 cm strip free along the top edge. Spread a little wasabi thinly over the rice.
6. Fill and roll up tightlyArrange the filling across the lower part of the rice. Using the mat, roll up firmly from the bottom, holding the filling in place with your fingers as you go. Seal the bare edge with a little water or a few crushed grains of rice.
7. Rest the rollsWrap the roll seam side down in the mat and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining nori sheets, rice and filling.
8. Slice the rollsCut each roll into 6–8 pieces with a sharp, damp knife, wetting the blade again between cuts.
9. Chill and serveKeep the pieces covered and chilled until serving, then serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

Tips and variations

For a California roll, fill with crab sticks, avocado and cucumber and roll the outside in sesame seeds or fish roe. Smoked salmon works instead of raw sushi-grade fish; raw salmon, tuna or turbot should be frozen for at least 24 hours beforehand, and each is best paired with its own vegetable. Thin rolls work with a halved nori sheet and only a little rice, thick rolls with more rice. No bamboo mat? Roll by hand, then wrap the roll tightly in baking paper and secure it with a rubber band. Takuan as an extra filling adds colour and crunch, and soy sauce with chopped ginger and a little sugar makes a good dip too. If you're making mixed rolls, alternate the pieces on a platter so everyone can see at a glance what's on offer.