Nigiri sushi and maki rolls
Savor sushi in two delightful forms – nigiri, with fresh fish on a small bed of rice, and maki, where rice, fish, and veggies are rolled in seaweed. Each bite, a tasty mix of flavors and textures.
To make the maki rolls, you will need a sushi mat.
Ingredients
- 300g/10½oz short-grain rice (aka sushi rice)
- 60ml/2fl oz rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 120g/4½oz fresh sushi-grade sea bass fillet, skinned
- 2 sheets nori seaweed, cut in half
- 100g/3½oz cooked white crab meat
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably Japanese)
- 1 small avocado, sliced
To serve
Method
To make the sushi rice, wash the rice in a bowl of cold water 4 or 5 times, until the water runs clear. Cover the rice with plenty of cold water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, drain the rice and put it in a pan with 390ml/14fl oz water. Cover the pan with a lid and bring the water to the boil, then turn down the heat and cook very gently for about 10–12 minutes until the water has been absorbed. Take the pan off the heat and set it aside, with the lid on, and leave the rice to steam for a further 10–15 minutes.
Mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and stir it into the rice while it’s still hot, making sure it’s well distributed. Tip the rice onto a large plate or tray and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to cool.
To make the nigiri, prepare the sea bass. Slice the fish on the diagonal into 8 pieces about the size of your thumb. Using wet hands or a nigiri mould, shape some rice into 8 lozenges about 5cm/2in long. Smear the top of each with a little wasabi, then top with a slice of sea bass. Brush the top of the fish with soy sauce.
To make the maki rolls, arrange half a nori sheet on a sushi mat and spread it with a layer of rice, leaving a border of about 1cm/½in on the edge furthest from you. Make a slight indent across the rice about half way up. Mix the crab and mayonnaise together and arrange a quarter of this along the indent, then add a couple of slices of avocado.
Using the mat, roll away from you, catching the filling into the roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more rolls. Using a wet knife blade or a serrated bread knife, cut each roll into 4 slices. Clean the knife blade between cuts to ensure a clean edge.
Serve the nigiri and maki rolls with the soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.