Worthy Food: Lazy Sushi

Lazy Sushi…I must confess this idea is not entirely my own though the name is…as far as I know. Leafing through a magazine the other day (I can’t remember which one), during a rare peaceful moment, I stumbled across a recipe, including a picture, for Sushi Salad.

Now before you go into spasms of indignation about eating raw fish, I will assure you raw seafood never passes my lips. When my husband partakes I consider upping his life insurance. Steamed shrimp or any other steamed, grilled, smoked or poached seafood or salmon can be used in place of raw blue fin tuna (and I highly recommend it). It can also be whipped up sans critter of any kind for you vegans out there.

Sushi is a ball to make…if you have the time, and it’s a real treat to serve at a party. I’ve even considered making it as a birthday gift instead of cake for those that don’t eat cake (what is wrong with you people?).

When Ben was about ten or eleven, he and I took a Vegetarian Sushi Class at Good Foods Co-op in Lexington. Class size was impressive and we learned how to make basic vegetarian sushi in one afternoon. Other than a few basic tricks it’s really quite easy. After a while my husband wanted to jump on the band wagon and Ben and I moved over to share the well guarded secret (oh yeah!) of sushi making. All the teenagers at work want to learn how to make it too so we’re having a “Sushi Class” for work in the next couple of weeks. I like to think of it as similar to a quilting bee…everyone has their hand in it and each sushi roll reflects the unique (or ornery) spirit of the maker.

The saying goes, many hands make light work, and it has never been truer than when making sushi. It’s pretty much a one man show to make the rice, but slicing vegetables, steaming seafood, rolling the sushi, making the wasabi and cutting the sushi rolls go much easier with help. Which leads me to the beauty of Sushi Salad.

Hankering for sushi this afternoon but no where near a place to buy any, and far too lazy to put in all the effort of rolling the rice, vegetables, and shrimp on Nori just for myself, I opted for the lazy person’s sushi. It was sooo easy and it made my taste buds and eyes incredibly happy.

Since I didn’t have a specific recipe I simply halved my recipe for regular sushi rice and added my own twist to the rest, yet staying within the framework of traditional sushi.

Your Sushi Salad will consist of the following, and/or any clever additions you may think of:

Sushi Rice
Steamed Shrimp (or other seafood)
Diced celery, orange bell pepper, and cucumber (be creative...avacado, carrots,etc)
Wasabi paste
Tamari (regular soy sauce will do fine)
Pickled ginger

Sushi Rice (read through to end before starting)

1 cup of raw sushi rice (so labeled in the grocery Asian food area)
1 cup & 1 T luke warm water
2 T rice vinegar (grocery Asian food section)
½ t salt

Wash rice several times – until water runs clear. Drain in colander then transfer to heavy pot (or rice cooker) with water. Cover with tight fitting lid, bring to a boil, simmer over low heat 15 min. Remove from heat and let rest 15 more min. before removing lid.

While waiting for rice to rest, combine remaining ingred. (rice vinegar, sugar and salt) in small saucepan and heat on low, stirring constantly until dissolved. Cool to room temp.

After rice has rested, using a wooden spatula cut and fold it (as you would a cake), being careful not to crush the rice grains. Transfer rice to bowl and add seasoned vinegar using the same cutting and folding technique.
Fan rice for approx (I use a magazine, it helps the vinegar evaporate and lends a high gloss to the rice. Resulting rice should be slightly sticky and ideal for making sushi.

1 Jar Wasabi

Wasabi powder (avail. In Asian food section)

Mix equal parts wasabi powder with water to make a paste. This is HOT stuff so be careful not to breathe in wasabi powder…unless of course you’re into excruciating punishment. Place wasabi paste in a small condiment dish.

1 Jar Pickled Ginger – (Asian food section)

To serve, I used a square, red, Asian themed dish with small sushi condiment dishes made from abalone that a friend gave to me. For the rice, I put about ¾ of a cup in a mold to give it shape and placed it on the plate. I then placed 8-10 Large Steamed Shrimp on top of that, and then sprinkled the celery, bell pepper and cucumber on top.

Unlike traditional salad dressings, don't pour the soy sauce and wasabi over the top. Instead, dip just the tiniest bit of wasabi on the end of your fork or chop stick, stab a shrimp, some rice and veggies, a sliver of ginger and then dip that in the tamari...I'm in heaven! The rice is flavorful on it's own due to the salt and rice vinegar so it just needs the subtle addition of wasabi, tamari and sliced, pickled ginger.

I placed the wasabi and the soy sauce in the shell dishes on the plate and laid the pickled ginger beside the sushi. The last thing I did was take it out to the porch table and sit down for the most delightful, fresh-tasting meal I have had in a long time. It would have been perfect with a chilled glass of Guewertraminer but it was mid day and I opted for ice water with sliced cucumber, sliced lemon and fresh mint. Next time...