Cuisine type: Japanese
Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes
Special options: Diabetic, Low Carb, Low fat, Low GI, Nut free
Course: Entree, Finger food, Lunch, Snacks
Favourite flavours: Easy recipes, Seafood

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet nori seaweed
2 cups koshihikari or sushi rice
3 cups water
4 tablespoons (1/3 cup) Japanese rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon wasabi
2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise
8—10 large slices smoked salmon
¼ cup water, extra
1 tablespoons rice vinegar, extra
1 Lebanese cucumber
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
pinch sea salt
pinch sugar

METHOD

Line a 20cm square-cake tin with glad-wrap or go-between, and line base with a square of nori seaweed; set aside.

Wash and drain rice 2 or 3 times until water becomes clear. Bring water and rice to a boil in medium sauce pan with a tightly fitting lid, reduce heat to low and cook with lid on for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from heat and stand, covered 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make rice seasoning by combining rice vinegar, sugar and salt, in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves; cool.

Tip cooked rice into a large flat tray or plastic container. Add rice seasoning. Using vertical cutting motion, “chop” seasoning into the rice with a spatula. Continue to “chop” the rice until it is cool. Traditionally the rice is fanned while this process takes place to add a glossy sheen.

Press the cooked and slightly cooled rice into the prepared cake tin and using a second piece of gladwrap and your hands smooth the rice out until it is completely flat.

Spread a little of the combine wasabi and mayonnaise all over the top of the rice and then lay the smoked salmon over the top, trimming it to fit if necessary. Refrigerate 1 hour for the rice to firm up slightly.

Meanwhile, place extra water and rice vinegar in a small jug and set aside.

Once the rice has firmed up remove it from the pan using the glad-wrap or go-between as a guide. Dip the tip of your knife into the vinegared water and then hold it tip up so that the liquid runs down the blade of your knife, this will help to prevent the knife from sticking to the rice.

Cut the slab of sushi into neat 3cm squares and arrange on serving platters.

Cut the slab of sushi into neat 3cm squares and arrange on serving platters.
Make pickled cucumber by peeling the whole cucumber into long strips. Do not peel the seed section as it will just break up. Turn the cucumber as you peel it so that you do not peel the seeded part. Combine cucumber strips in a bowl with vinegar, salt and sugar. Toss to coat and stand at least 10 minutes before draining.

Top each square of sushi with some pickled cucumber and serve with drinks.