if the culinary theme of january pervading alki's existence was
soup, then there's no doubt that february was all about
SUSHI ** .
** ok, for the purists, i never actually made SUSHI. just maki. clarification:
maki = rolls with seaweed, rice and whatever else you chose to put in
sushi = raw fish with rice
sashimi = raw fish toute seule
the first time i made sushi was back at jas' house in september with jas and laura.
we made california rolls and were shocked to realize how incredibly simple and quick it was to make the equivalent of (or even better than) what you find at the japanese restaurant (ok, it might be important to note that jas had prepared everything -- including the RICE which is probably the trickiest part of sushi -- ahead of time).
and then more recently, celia and i took pilar to "atelier des chefs" for her birthday (we get sometimes a bit behind on birthday presents considering that pilar's birthday was in ... june... ).
ateliers des chefs is a fantastic cooking school which allows you to take a stand alone cooking course (1-3 hours in length) and learn how to make as much as a full-course meal (which is what we did). see my post
atelier des chefs - grey goose cocktail night about a cocktail course i did there last year with my crazy coworkers.
anyway, our meal consisted of :
entrée - maki de daurade royale, chèvre frais à la tomate confite et citron vert
plat - Subuta, wok de porc à l'asiatique, épis de maïs et pousses de bambou
dessert - soufflé au chocolat blanc et thé vert
everything was DELICIOUSSS, but my favorite was by far the maki with chevre and sun-dried tomatoes:
i was so inspired by our sushi-making experience, that i decided to share what we learned at my sushi and karaoke birthday party !!!
and then again, with my family at our belfast reunion!!
despite the sushi saturation in my life, i still maintain the same appreciation and enthusiasm about it so if you're interested in learning, i still have about 80 sheets of seaweed at my house!
i'll try to explain as simply as possible how to make maki (and i've also pasted below the official recipe from atelier des chefs -- if you want a translation or the recipe of the other dishes, just let me know).
key ingredients:
- seaweed
- short-grained rice
- rice vinegar with salt and sugar (you can either buy the ingredients separately, or you can find a mix already made, in liquid or in dry form)
other necessities:
- soy sauce
- ginger
- wasabe
- sesame seeds
- maki roller
variables -- WHAT YOU WANT TO PUT IN YOUR MAKI (up until now, i've stuck with vegetarian maki)!
california:
- avocado
- crab
- cucumber
- mayo
euro-japanese fusion
- goat cheese
- sundried tomatoes
- red bell peppers
and it's really just an opportunity to be as creative as you want. at sushi planet, they have "nutella maki" ! mmmmmm....
the instructions are as follows:
1. cook your short-grain rice, but be careful not to over or undercook it.
2. add the vinegar mix to give your rice to add that extra flavor
3. slice your ingredients in long, thin, shapes (see photos for example)
4. lay out your seaweed sheet on top of your maki roller, and spread a thin layer of rice on it, leaving about an inch on the bottom and an 1-2 inches on the top to be able to close your roll
** if your hands are getting sticky, just dip them into a bowl of water. it keeps the rice from sticking to your hands
5. spread your mayo and/or chevre, and add your ingredients (make sure not to put TOO much into your rolls, otherwise it will not look very pretty when you try to roll)
6. once you've loaded all the ingredients, it's time to ROLL!! using the roller, fold the bottom part of the seaweed over until it kisses the top part and press down to SEAL the roll. roll roll roll.
7. using a knife, carefully cut off any extra seaweed, and continue to ROLL.
8. once you have achieved a nice, tight, compact shape, you're ready to cut your roll! cut in 8 or 6 pieces, as you please.
9. top and serve with sesame seeds, soy sauce, ginger, and wasabe.
ALTERNATIVE:
jas taught me how to do in the inside-out roll, so that the rice is on the outside (SO COOL!!!)
1. lay a sheet of saran (clear plastic) wrap on your maki roller.
2. spread layer of rice directly onto plastic wrap.
3. place a piece of seaweed (3 inches in length) on your rice
4. load up your veggies on the seaweed
5. carefully, roll the rice until both sides touch.
6. roll roll roll into a tight, compact form.
7. carefully pull off the plastic wrap
8. roll the roll in sesame seeds.
9. carefully cut!
et VOILA!
ich, ni, san, GO !!!
