Maki – Sushi for beginners and connoisseurs

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 250 g sushi rice
• 375 ml water
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ tbsp mirin
• ½ tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 nori sheets
• 250 g salmon steak(s), fried in a pan on both sides for 8 minutes each and cut into strips
• 1 tsp wasabi paste
• 1 piece(s) cucumber(s), approx. 6 cm, with peel, cut into thin strips
• ½ red bell pepper(s), cut into thin strips

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 12 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 7 minutes

simple and delicious

Rinse the rice in a sieve under running water until the water runs clear. Bring the rice and water to a boil in a pot, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, mirin, sugar, and salt; stir well until completely dissolved. Transfer the rice to a shallow bowl (not metal) and let it cool for 10 minutes. Add the rice vinegar solution and gently fold it in with a wooden spoon. Let it cool completely and divide into 6 equal portions. Now place a nori sheet, shiny side down, on a bamboo mat. Spread one portion of rice thinly and evenly on top, leaving a 1.5 cm border free at one end. Use a spoon handle to make a groove in the front third, perpendicular to the rolling direction, and spread wasabi paste into it. Be careful, wasabi is quite spicy! Place the fried salmon strips in the groove and, if desired, place cucumber strips and/or bell pepper strips behind them. Moisten the free end of the nori sheet with a little water. Now lift the bamboo mat slightly at the front and gently press the nori sheet around the filling. Continue lifting the bamboo mat and continue rolling the sushi roll until it is completely closed. You may need to practice this a few times, but it worked quite well for me the first time! Repeat this process with the remaining 5 nori sheets. You will end up with 6 beautiful sushi rolls in front of you, waiting for their final maki shape. Now it’s time to prepare your tools, which means making a good knife ultra-sharp(!). Otherwise, the maki sushi will look more like car tires! Place one sushi roll at a time on a wooden board and trim the ends neatly and straight off (the scraps are for the chef!). Always dip the knife in cold water before each subsequent cut! Divide the sushi roll in half and cut each half into 4 equal maki sushi. Arrange on a large platter, cut-side up. Refrigerate the finished sushi or eat immediately. Set the table, prepare sushi sashimi sauce, wasabi paste, and pickled ginger, and enjoy, piece by piece!