California Inside Out.
Being in love with sushi in a country so close to Asia is a treat. Chopsicks, soy sauce, wasabi and tuna everywhere. But I have to admit: even if you can buy really good sushi in the streets for very cheap prices – home made sushi is simply the best.
My dear boyfriend taught me how to make sushi back in Germany. And has never rolled a single sushi roll ever since. Which is fine. Seriously. I’d rather do it myself. It’s kind of a meditation exercise standing in the kitchen, listening to music, watching the waves coming into Lyall Bay and rolling sushi.
I’ve tried many, many different recipes, some where good, some where ok and some where oh my god. I will tell you all of them – at least all the good and oh my god ones. But let me start with a classic. Good old California Inside Out.
Actually, having said that – I have the feeling that my classic California Inside Out is different than other ones. But hey, who wants to be standard.
So here we go and don’t be scared. It’s not as hard as it might look like. You’ll pick it up just like that. Trust me.
California Inside Out.
Ingredients:
Rice:
250 g sushi rice
300 ml water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
Filling:
4 sheets toasted seaweed
8 tsp cream cheese
1 avocado
300 g tuna filets or salmon filets
Rolling:
1 bamboo mat
Clingwrap
1 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Serving:
Soy sauce
Wasabi
Pickled ginger
Directions:
- Place the rice in a sieve and rinse very thoroughly until the water runs clearly. Put the washed rice in a large saucepan, cover with water and let it soak for about 10 minutes.
- While the rice is soaking, make the vinegar mix. Simply dissolve sugar and salt in the vinegar.
- Rinse the rice again, put it back into the saucepan, add the water and vinegar mixture. With the lid closed, bring to boil for 2 minutes and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir every now and then to make sure that the rice is cooked evenly.
- Place cooked rice in a large bowl, cover with a wet cloth and allow to cool for about 30 – 60 minutes.
- While the rice is cooling, prepare your rolling station. I just love thinking of it as a station – a bit like in an industry. Standing in the middle and having everything you need handy. First of all cover your bamboo mat with clingwrap – that will make sure that the rice doesn’t stick to the mat. It will make your life so much easier. Now cut the seaweed sheets in half – so you end up with 8 sheets at the size of 18 x 10 cm (w x h). You will also need a little glass of water with 1 tbsp of rice vinegar. Leave the tablespoon in the glass – you will need it later. Slice the avocado and the tuna in thin and long pieces. Now breath and get in the mood of rolling.
- Place one sheet of seaweed on the bamboo mat and cover it completly with rice. Use the spoon in the water-vinegar glass for it. The vinegar makes the rice less sticky and easier to work with.
- Once the whole sheet is evenly covered, turn it upside down – so the seaweed side is facing your way.
- Add 1 tsp cream cheese in the middle, so you are making a long cream cheese line from the left to the right. Or the right to the left.
- To this line you add tuna and avocado.
- And now: roll it. Just roll it to a firm, but not too firm, California roll.
- Now sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds around it and slice into 6 even pieces. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger.
