The other day I was faced with a ripe avocado and a bunch of freshly harvested carrots. I had a jar of nori that I had foraged a year ago in the cabinet, so I decided to make sushi.
First, I made the sushi rice and prepped my carrots.
To make sushi at home, most people purchase sheets of nori, which have been made from fresh nori that was blended to a pulp and rolled on screens and dried, much like how paper is made. The nori I had was dried “leaves” that had been foraged from the rocks off the Sonoma Coast. They come off the rocks green, but when dried and stored for a bit, they were a brilliant lavender color. Once toasted in a warm oven, they turn an olive green.
If you were to make your rolls using sheet nori, thats the first layer you would put down on your sushi mat. I made “inside out” rolls and put the rice down first. To do this, I used an old bread bag (we don’t buy plastic wrap), then spread the rice into a square. Sushi rice is sticky, so using your fingers is easier. Then, layer your ingredients in the middle of your rice block.
Using your sushi mat, roll the rice, making sure to tuck your ingredients up. Roll as tightly as possible.
Using the sharpest knife you have, slice the roll. I had to put mine back together a bit, they weren’t as tight as if I had a solid sheet of nori, but they were tasty!
Served up with some soy and ginger marinated chicken, it was a delicious meal!
Sushi Rice
- 1 1/2 cups sushi (Calrose) rice, rinsed & drained
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
- few pinches of salt
Bring rice & water to a boil, cover and let simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest 10. Put in a large bowl to cool. Meanwhile, combine salt, sugar & vinegar. Gently heat either on the stove or in the microwave until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle vinegar mixture over rice, stir to combine.
Making sushi is always fun and satisfying. I guess it’s even more so when you’ve collected the nori yourself. Awesome.