Recipe of the Week
Sushi Rice
September 20, 2012

Our small town has grown so much in the past few years. While urban growth is debatable, the advent of sushi bars is a good thing in my humble opinion.

When I was younger, there was no place to get sushi. No sushi restaurants. In fact, there were no restaurants open anywhere after 11:00PM. Pre-made sushi wasn’t even available in upscale grocery stores. So, to treat myself, I learned to make it at home.

This rice recipe is the basis of all good sushi. It is also an excellent rice to use in other Asian dishes such as “Korean Bulgogi.”

Ingredients:

*¾ cup of raw small grain rice
*¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons of water
*½ teaspoon of salt

If making sushi:
*1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
*½ Tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Place the rice in a colander and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. Set the rice aside and let it drain for 1 hour.

At the end of the hour in a heavy medium pan, add the rice to the salted water. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce the heat.

Let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. Do not remove the lid during the cooking process. I often shake the pan while it is cooking to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom and burning.

Without removing the lid, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Serve the sticky white rice immediately while it is still hot.

If you are making sushi, combine the vinegar and sugar. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Place the rice in a wooden bowl. Drizzle the vinegar/sugar mixture evenly over the rice.

Use a wooden spoon to gently fold the rice into itself so that everything is completely covered.

While you are folding the rice, fan the rice with a small hand fan or even a piece of cardboard. This will help dissipate the steam and makes the rice shiny and glossy.

This recipe makes enough rice for three sushi rolls.