Sensational sushi

GREEN (NSW & ACT)

(Makes 20)

• 3 cups short grain rice (or sushi rice)
• 4 ½ cups water
• 1 ¼ cups rice vinegar
• 10 Nori sheets
• 3 carrots, sliced thinly into strips
• 3 cucumbers, sliced thinly into strips
• Extra water for brushing

Method

1. Rinse rice in sieve until the water runs clear.
2. Place rice and 4 ½ water into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.
3. Once rice is cooked, stir the rice vinegar through. Pour and spread rice out onto a plate and allow to cool.
4. When rice is completely cooled, lay one sheet of Nori onto a bamboo rolling matt. If you do not have a matt a chomping board can be used instead.
5. Spread a 1 cm deep layer of rice over ¾ of the sheet and press down firmly (see pictures below).
6. Lay strips of carrot and cucumber on top of each other, 5cm in from the end with rice spread on it (see pictures).
7. Brush the exposed nori section with water to aid the seal.
8. Roll the nori sheet tightly, starting with the edge that is lined with the vegetables and work towards the end with the exposed nori.
9. Once the roll is completely enclosed, wrap your hands around the mat to gently tighten the roll
10. Cut each roll in half and cover in cling wrap. Repeat process for remaining Nori sheets.
11. Store in the fridge until service time.

Notes

• Sushi is vinegared rice topped with various fresh ingredients, usually seafood, chicken and/or vegetables and wrapped in seaweed (nori). Nori is thin sheets of dried seaweed. Nori sheets can be found in the specialty section of the supermarket.

• Sushi rolls are great in canteens, they are nutritious and low in fat. Sushi is great in the canteen because it is simple to make, kids love it and has the potential to generate a nice profit.

• Nori is rich in Vitamin A, iodine and contains other vitamins and minerals.

• Sushi rolls filled with tuna or other seafood provide protein and can be a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

• Sushi rolls with fresh vegetables are a good source of vitamins and fibre

What to be careful of – Food Safety

Sushi can easily be contaminated because preparation requires a lot of handling, and the ingredients are usually raw. Care needs to be taken to ensure correct food handling and hygiene procedures are followed.

• Only use ingredients that are fresh and stored cold until use (5°C or less)
• Ensure work areas are cleaned and sanitized before use, utensils are clean before use and minimize the amount of time ingredients remain at room temperature
• Follow good personal hygiene practices
• Store sushi under temperature control (5°C or less)
• Discard any sushi not sold at the end of the day

Variations

If you do not have rice vinegar available, it can easily be recreated by mixing 1 cup white vinegar with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Other tasty fillings include: avocado, capsicum, asparagus, shallots, or pickles. For protein, add tofu, meat or seafood: Tuna (canned), salmon (smoked or canned), pre cooked chicken or pre cooked beef.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a dipping sauce e.g. reduced salt soy sauce or Wasabi.

 Facts and figures