Japanese cuisine in a modern globalized world is gaining more and more popularity. And for some reason it happened that it was sushi, an appetizer of rice and fish or seafood, that Europeans liked more than other delicacies of the culinary art of the Land of the Rising Sun. Going to Japanese restaurants every day is expensive, and probably many people thought about how to cook sushi (rolls) at home. Do you think this is impossible? Is it really because Japanese chefs roll the rolls in the sushi bar ? But this is not an innate skill inherited along with genes, but a skill that can be mastered. The Japanese themselves have a different opinion. They even believe that real rolls will not work if they are made by warm and tender female hands. But we believe that Slavic girls can do everything: if they stop the horse at full gallop and enter the power of the burning hut, then will it really be “weak” to roll some rice rolls with them?
Bit of theory
Before we begin to master the art of how to cook rolls at home, it would not hurt to get acquainted with the "materiel". The authentic name of this dish is makizushi. And the Europeans called it rolls, because it rolls up. There are many makizushi recipes. There is also ura-maki - when rice is not inside the roll, but outside. Nori seaweed is not always a sushi package. Sometimes its function is performed by rice paper or a special Japanese omelet. The process of making sushi can be divided into stages. This rice cooking is the most critical phase. Then comes the preparation of the filling and dressing. Next is the artistic part - folding rolls. Even if for the first time you can’t form the rolls beautifully, this will not affect their taste. And finally, cutting the sausages into pieces. If you know how to make a sandwich, then you will succeed.
Equipment
Many people thinking about how to cook rolls at home are stopped by doubts about the high cost of all these bamboo rugs, spatulas and other Japanese paraphernalia. There is no reason to worry. Everything is interchangeable ... Except for the bamboo mat Makis. But note, it is acquired once, and you will cook sushi at home more than once. So its value will pay off over time. Japanese cuisine is so popular that large supermarkets even have a whole department for sushi lovers. There you can buy a set of “Sen Soi”, which already contains not only a rug and sticks, but also some products: wasabi, nori sheets, rice, vinegar, soy sauce (though all in a small amount). For the first time, such a set will do. And later, having makis and algae, you can just buy food. Then sushi will be a very inexpensive dish for you.
How to cook rolls at home: a step by step recipe. Stage 1: Cooking Rice
The quality of sushi, like any other dish, depends on the ingredients. And since rice occupies most of the land, the choice of grain should be approached responsibly. You need to choose short, round grains. Long ones are good for crumbly pilaf, and it is important for us to get sticky, sticky porridge. Residents of large cities can not puzzle over, but just buy a pack of “Rice for sushi” in the supermarket. But what about those who have little choice in stores? White rice "Mistral Italika" or Krasnodar is suitable. We measure out two glasses of cereal. Rinse the grains well until the water becomes clear. We put the rice in a pan in which it will be cooked. Pour water in proportions of 1 to 1.5. That is, for two glasses of cereal, we need three cups of liquid. Close the pan tightly and put on a big fire. As soon as the water boils, we reduce the flame to a minimum. But we do not open the saucepan so as not to let off steam. After a quarter of an hour, turn off the fire. We give the groats, which by that time have absorbed all the water, to rest under the lid for another twenty minutes.
Step Two: Rice Mortar
If you have already studied the question of how to cook rolls at home, you probably know that rice is immediately impregnated with a special dressing after cooking. In it, the main component is Japanese “su” rice vinegar. And do not even think of “importing” it with our apple or grape product - spoil the whole dish. Japanese vinegar is not spicy, sweetish in taste. Pour five tablespoons of this ingredient into an iron bowl, heat over low heat. Remove from the stove, add three tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir until completely dissolved. In a glass or ceramic container, place the hot rice porridge. With a wooden stick, we make circular movements with one hand, and with the other pour vinegar dressing on this instrument. This technique will help us soak every grain, without violating the viscosity of the porridge. Therefore, we stir the rice with cutting movements, rotating the stick clockwise. Having distributed the whole dressing, cover the porridge with a paper towel and leave it to cool completely.
Step three: prepare the filling
This step is very simple. The components for the filling are simply cut into thin and as long as possible whetstones. What kind of ingredients are needed to make home rolls? There are a lot of recipes. Let's look at this step using the simplest example. We cut the crab stick along its entire length into four parts. And already on this narrow strip we cut a fresh cucumber without skin and cream cheese. It is important that all the components of the filling are more or less the same thickness. This will not only look beautiful on a sushi cut, but also affect the balance of taste. If we use soft cheese, it is important to bring it to a creamy consistency. All the ingredients of the filling must wait in the wings in separate containers.
Step Four: Roll Formation
So we have come to the most crucial stage of the technological process, which is called "how to cook rolls at home." With a photo this phase will be easier for you to master. But if even the first time you get a roll clumsy and ugly, do not be discouraged. Firstly, it will not affect the taste of the dish. And secondly, in subsequent times you will get sushi better and better. It just needs skill and experience. We spread the maksis on the table in front of us so that the ties of the rug would be far away from you. For simplicity, we will make hosomaki rolls with a thin layer of nori. This dried seaweed is sold as sheets. It is better to choose dark nori - they have a more intense taste. We take a sheet and cut it with scissors in half. We lay the nori with the glossy side down so that the lower edge of the sheet coincides with the side of the mat closest to you. On the rough side of the algae, place the rice in as thin a layer as possible. We fill the space of nori from the edge closest to you and up to three fourth sheets. Somewhere in the middle of this rice space we lay out the filling.
Step Five: Roll Up
This is the most crucial stage for those who want to cook rolls at home. A recipe with a photo in front of you - repeat our steps. We take the near edge of the makis, raise it a little and move it away from us. According to the law of attraction, a layer of rice along with the edge of the algae will fall on the filling. We straighten the mat and turn it so that the edge coincides with the level of the nori. You can simply carefully move the seaweed sheet toward you. Repeat the action, making the rug move up and away from us. So we continue to do until we get a neat sausage. We cover with a rug and squeeze lightly, without fanaticism, to fix the edges of the algae and prevent its unfolding.
Step Six: Final
Now we arm ourselves with a very sharp knife. Wet his blade in cold water with vinegar. Then the knife will cut through the seaweed and solid ingredients of the filling, like lightning, and will not drag away sticky pictures. For those who do not know how to cook rolls at home, we will give advice. First cut the sausage in half, then both parts in half, and then chop the pieces to the desired thickness. You can now decorate sushi with Masago flying fish caviar, boiled shrimp, pieces of red fish and other similar products. Serve rolls with soy sauce, pickled ginger gari and wasabi. The last ingredient is of two types: sava (very expensive and rare) and seyo (sold in all specialized sushi stores). It is better to buy not ready-made wasabi, but in powder. Just mix it with water, and the green smoothie is ready in ten minutes. As for burning, then choose it to your taste. White ginger is softer and pink is very sharp.
Train and everything will work out!
Now you can cook delicious rolls at home. For beginners in this matter, it is better to limit themselves to a small amount of ingredients for the filling. So it will be more convenient to roll sushi. But as you master the skill, you can resort to various recipes for rolls. And the day will come when the dish from sushi will not be ashamed to bring to the festive table and say to the guests: "Itadakimasu!" (Bon appetit in Japanese).