Sushi is a Handcrafted Miracle

A Spiral

Ingredients

For the rice:

• 1 cup sushi rice, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups water, cold
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup shrimp
• 1 avocado
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 package suri nori seawood sheets
• 1 packet soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Rice and Water

Sushi is made in stages. First you must rinse the rice with cold water. It apparently is dusty.

Then, you retrieve the wet rice and place it in a medium saucepan. Dump out the water you used to rinse. Add 1 1/4 cups cold water to the pan.

Since I have an electric stove, I used one burner on high to bring my rice and water to a boil. The rear burner was on low heat. When the rice started to boil, I covered the pan and moved it to the rear burner. Set timer for 20 minutes.

Resist urge to lift cover to check it. It needs to stay closed for the entire time.

Rinse the Rice - Discard Dusty Water

A Medium Pan Works Well

Two Burners - High and Low

Switch Burners - High Heat to Low Heat

Twenty Minutes Later - let Rest for 10 Minutes

It needs to absorb the water. The twenty minutes sets the stage. It sucks the water into the rice. Once the time is up, the rice must be removed from the heat.

Do not open the lid. Leave it rest, covered for 10 minutes. If you intend to roll it like I did, get 2 tablespoons of apple.cider vinegar ready.

Wait. You will need a non-metal bowl. I used an 8 cup Pyrex measuring cup. Scrape the rice into the glass and now add that vinegar. Stir it in.

At this point I covered the bowl with plastic wrap until I was ready to use it.

Filling and Rolling

Place a sheet of seaweed on the plastic wrap.

The first thing is to put your carrots across the seaweed in a line about three inches from the side. Then, place a line of avocado in the middle of these carrots. Then, place a line of shrimp next to the avocado.

I used a large plastic spoon to scoop some rice into the sheet in a single layer. Make sure you put sushi rice on top of the line of fillings.

Now, take some sesame seeds and sprinkle them all across the rice.

Prepare Your Fillings

At this point I cut open my avocado and sliced it the long way into strips.

My shrimp had tails on so I removed them and then cut the shrimp pieces in 1/2 inch pieces.

I had a bag of matchstick carrots, a bag of sesame seeds, a package of seaweed sheets.

Work Surface

I decided to use a kitchen towel for my work surface. I cut a piece of plastic wrap and placed it on the towel.

The plastic wrap will be used to manhandle and manipulate the seaweed wrap around your ingredients.

Time to Roll the Seaweed

It's important that you start on the edge next to the line of carrots.

Pull up on the plastic and get the seaweed rolling up and over the fillings.

It's like rolling up a blanket. The rice will stick together, and will bind the ingredients in the line. As the seaweed hydrates it starts to bind with the rice.

Completely roll into a log.

Slice With Sharp Knife

Take one roll and slice crossways in 3/4 inch pieces. Flip over on its side, and place side by side on a plate.

Fill a bowl with soy sauce or dipping sauce and enjoy!

Remove from Heat - Let Sit for 10 Minutes

Non Metal Bowl - Add Vinegar

Cover Rice with Plastic Wrap

Avocado

Loading the ingredients onto Seaweed

Sesame Seeds Sprinkled Across Rice

Note - Seaweed Has Slicing Guide Lines

Roll Tightly - Slice - Place on Plate

Pickled Ginger Slices - Soy Sauce