Maki Sushi

VARIATIONS & FILLINGS

California Roll

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Cucumber	peeled, seeded, julienned	1 each
Crab	cooked, shredded	1/2 cup
Avocado	cut into thin strips	1 each

1. Lay ingredients in rows across sushi rice and roll.

Ebi Soboro (Fluffy shrimp)

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Shrimp	shelled, cooked	1/2 lb
Sake		1 Tbsp
Sugar		2-3 Tbsp
Salt		pinch

1. Chop shrimp into small crumbs with a knife, or pulse in a food processor.
2. Stir shrimp in a saucepan over low heat until it begins to dry out.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir until it begins to dry out again. Remove from heat and cool.

Kampyo Filling (Dried gourd)

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Kampyo		1 oz
Water	boiling	1 1/2 cup
Dashi stock		1 cup
Mirin		1 Tbsp
Sugar		3 Tbsp
Soy sauce		3 Tbsp

1. Pour boiling water over kampyo and soak for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain.
2. In a small saucepan, add the kampyo and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and allow the liquid to reduce until almost dry.
3. Remove from heat, cool, and squeeze slightly to remove excess liquid.

Shiitake Filling (Mushroom)

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Shiitake, dried		10-15 each
Water	boiling	2 1/2 cups
Mirin		1 Tbsp
Sugar		3 Tbsp
Soy sauce		3 Tbsp

1. Pour boiling water over shiitakes and soak for 30 minutes or until soft.
2. Drain mushrooms and reserve soaking liquid. Julienne the mushrooms.
3. In a small saucepan, add the mushrooms, 1 cup of the soaking liquid and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and allow the liquid to reduce until almost dry.
4. Remove from heat, cool, and squeeze slightly to remove excess liquid.

Seasoned Vegetables

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Vegetables (see note)	julienned, or cut into thin strips	1 cup
Dashi stock		1 cup
Sugar		1 1/2 Tbsp
Mirin		1 1/2 Tbsp
Soy sauce		2 Tbsp

1. In a small saucepan, add all ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetable is just cooked through.
2. Remove from heat, cool, and squeeze to remove excess liquid.

• Suitable vegetables include bamboo shoots, carrot, celery, daikon, spinach (squeeze especially well), green beans, asparagus, snow peas. Use your imagination.

Usu Yaki Tamago (Egg crepe)

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Eggs	beaten well	3 each
Sugar		1 Tbsp
Salt		1/4 tsp

1. Beat all together well. Strain through a sieve.
2. Heat an oiled skillet over low heat. Ladle a small amount of the egg into the skillet and distribute evenly over bottom.
3. Let egg set. Flip carefully to set second side. Remove.
4. Cut into strips to use as a filling.

• Use a whole egg crepe as a wrapper for other sushi ingredients.

Other Fillings & Variations

• Ura Maki Zushi (Inside-out sushi): Maki sushi can also be made with the rice on the outside. Wrap the sushi mat in plastic wrap. Spread the rice to the size of sheet of nori, only a little bigger at the top and bottom.  Lay the fillings on the nori and roll. Roll in toasted black or white sesame seeds or in both if you like. A nice filling is shrimp tempura.
• Temaki (hand-rolled sushi): spread rice on a piece of nori. Add fillings in a diagonal and roll into a cone with your hands.
• Maguro (tuna), hirame (halibut), hamachi (yellowtail), ika (squid), awabi (abalone), tai (snapper): sushi-grade, raw, sliced thin or julienne.
• Ebi (shrimp), kani (crab), tako (octopus): cooked, julienne.
• Sake (salmon): smoked or cured and cut into strips.
• Unago (eel): grilled and seasoned.
• Kappamaki: thin rolls with just cucumber.
• Oshinko: thin rolls with just pickled daikon.
• Tekkamaki: thin rolls with just raw tuna.
• Pickled vegetables: rinsed, julienne