A taste of Japan
by salvy ahsan
Shrimp Tempura/Dragon Roll
Ingredients
* 6 cups cooked sushi rice (recipe below)
* 4 nori (seaweed) sheets
* 15-16 shrimp tempura (recipe below)
* 1 cucumber (for dragon rolls)
* 2 avocados (for dragon rolls)
* lemon
* Eel sauce, or teriyaki sauce
* Sesame seeds to garnish
* Spicy mayo for dipping (recipe below)
* cup water
* 2 tsp rice vinegar
* Bamboo sushi mat
* Plastic wrap
Directions for sushi
1. Cut the cucumber into vertical strips, about 1 inch in length. Make sure to remove the seeds. Set aside.
2. Cut the avocado in half vertically around the pit in the centre, and twist the two halves until they separate. You can either hack the knife into the pit or use the edge of a spoon to take it out. Scoop out the avocado from each half with a spoon, and slice. Keep the avocado in a container with the pit and squeeze lemon over it to prevent discolouring. Set aside.
3. Make vinegar water (tezu) for dipping hands with cup water and 2 tsp rice vinegar.
4. Cover the bamboo mat with plastic wrap.
5. Place a nori sheet over the bamboo mat with shiny side down. Spread about 2 cups of sushi rice evenly over the nori. Dip your fingers in tezu to help do this.
6. You can either turn the sheet over, and place the shrimp tempura, cucumber strips, and a little bit of the teriyaki/eel sauce at the centre of the nori sheet (traditional for shrimp tempura/dragon rolls). If you prefer, you can keep the rice side up, and just place the filling there.
7. Place your thumbs on the back of the mat, and begin rolling away from you. Make sure to support the fillings with the rest of your fingers. Roll the sushi until the edge of nori is placed under the sushi. Shape the roll by gently, but tightly squeezing it. Remove the bamboo mat, and slice the sushi roll into 6-8 pieces. If you are going to use the avocado, place it on top before cutting, and wrap it with the bamboo wrap again tightly.
*Make sure to use a very sharp knife, and to clean the knife with a wet towel after every slice.
8. Drizzle with spicy mayo and teriyaki/eel sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Sushi is better when eaten fresh!
Sushi Rice Recipe
Ingredients: 3 cups Japanese short grain rice/sushi rice (regular white rice or Jasmine rice will not work!), 3 tbsp sugar, 1.5 tsp salt, 1/3 cup rice vinegar
Directions
1. Rinse rice 5-6 times. After the water from the rice runs clear, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes.
2. Transfer rice to colander, and drain water completely.
3. Cook the rice in a rice cooker _ fill the cooker with 3 cups of cool water with the rice. You can also cook the rice on the stove _ use less water, about 2 to 2.5 cups.
4. Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a pot/pan, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside in a bowl, and allow it to cool.
5. Once the rice is cooked, transfer it to a moistened large bowl (bamboo bowls work best) to ensure the rice grains do not stick. Spread out the rice evenly, and pour mixture from step 4 over it while the rice is still hot.
6. Do not mix the rice, but kind of fold the vinegar mixture over the rice. Best way to do this is, cut the rice into 4 quarters with edge of a spoon, and flip each quarter over. Continue doing this a couple of times until rice is cooled.
7. Cover rice with dampened towel, and set aside until ready to use.
Shrimp Tempura Recipe
Ingredients: pound (~10-12) shrimp/prawn, corn starch, 1-2 tbsp rice vinegar, canola/vegetable oil for deep frying, cup ice cold water, 1 large egg, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Peel and devein shrimps/prawns. Slit through the backs of the shrimp and flatten each out vertically.
2. Sprinkle corn starch over shrimp. This will help get rid of any smell and dirt. Rinse.
3. Soak shrimp in 1-2 tbsp of rice vinegar. After 10 minutes, discard the liquid.
4. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.
5. Make tempura batter: Mix ice cold water with egg, and whisk vigorously. Add flour to large mixing bowl, and slowly add egg/water mixture and stir. Do not over mix.
6. Prepare a large plate with panko bread crumbs.
7. Sprinkle shrimp with corn starch, dip in tempura batter, and then coat with panko bread crumbs.
8. Deep fry shrimp until golden brown. Set aside on a paper towel to soak excess oil until read to use.
Spicy Mayo Recipe
Ingredients: 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tsp sriracha/chili sauce
Directions: Mix all ingredients together well. Transfer to a squirt bottle or piping bag, drizzle over the sushi. You can also spoon the sauce over the sushi, or keep on the side as a condiment. n
