Nori Maki Sushi

Photo: flickr user jlastras

Ingredients

1 cup short grain brown rice

2 cups water

4 sheets dried nori

1/2 teaspoon Instead of Salt

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

Shoyu, sweet and hot mustard

Pickled ginger

Preparation

Choose 3 for each roll: Cooked chopped spinach toasted sesame seeds Strips of scallion, bell pepper, celery, omelette, (no yolk) lightly steamed asparagus, carrot, or green beans Pickled umeboshi plum (use just a bit) Avocado Chopped watercress Mushrooms

The outside wrapper nori, is made from seaweed. It has best flavor when freshly toasted and eaten soon after.

If you want to include mushrooms, shitakes are traditional, but normal ones work too, sauteed and cut in strips. If you do come upon some dried shitakes, soak several in water, then simmer in 2 teaspoons each shoyu and sherry. Chop fine or cut into strips.

Cook rice, uncovered, in boiling water for 5 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, select and prepare your choice of fillings. You'll be making 4 rolls, it's fun to vary the fillings in each. Combine about 3 of the suggested ingredients in each.

Unless the nori sheets you have are pre-toasted, wave each one over a flame (a gas burner is ideal), holding it with tongs or fingertips, so that each sheet changes color and texture slightly, becoming light and coarser.

Dissolve Instead of Salt in rice vinegar in a small saucepan and add honey; heat gently to liquify. When the rice is cooked, turn it out onto a large platter or baking dish with sides. Pour the vinegar mixture over it, stirring as you do, and fanning the steam away, a folded newspaper works nicely. When the rice has cooled to room temperature, it is ready.

For rolling the sushi, a traditional bamboo mat is great, but not essential; a big cloth napkin works fine, just a little bigger than the nori sheets. Place the mat or cloth flat in front of you and put the first sheet of nori on it. Moisten your fingers with water or vinegar and spread 1/4 of the seasoned rice on the meat, covering it except for an inch or 2 at the top, which you'll use to seal the roll.

The rice should be not quite 1/2 inch thick. Across the middle, parallel to the top, form an indentation and place the filling materials there, forming a thin line from one end to the other. For example: A strip of omelette, a line of chopped watercress, and strips of red bell pepper. Aim for beauty and harmony too.

Grasping the nearest side of the mat, roll it up and away from you toward the top, pressing the whole thing together tightly and pushing the filling ingredients into place if necessary. Dampen the remaining "flap" of nori and seal the roll by pressing the flap along the length of the roll. Place the roll on a cutting board and slice it with a very sharp knife into 1 inch segments. Arrange, cut side up, and serve. Makes about 6 servings.