Steemit Iron Chef 2018 Act 02 #06 : Sushi of all

I am doing something different this time. As you might know, SIC is a contest I participate in, and the goal each week is to take an ingredient and elevate it. This week the ingredient was not an ingredient at all. We were supposed to make sushi in a superior way.

I am great at eating sushi but bad at making it. That is, I never get the rice taste I want (that might have changed today). That is why I did not elevate my dish as much as tried to perfect my rice technique. You see, that is the special thing about sushi for me. You can fill the roll with anything. The food of the gods even. But if the rice is no good, the sushi is meh, mediocre at best. Not worth making. That is partly the reason why I love eating sushi out.

It is really hard to find a place that cooks better than you yourself. Unless you know a Michelin star chef that works in a restaurant that is in my area. And, additionally, you will have to pay for the dinner because these places are meant for those who can afford to leave half of their wage in them. I am exaggerating here but you get the point.

However, sushi restaurants almost always positively surprise me. Except that one time when the avocado in my sushi was hard as a tree (Yes, I am refering to you Phamous, Wuerzburg!) Because I do not have the skill to replicate those amazing rolls, I usually tend to eat them out. But, once in a while, I talk myself into doing sushi again. And, today was that day thanks to the Iron Chef contest.

This will not be an entry qualifying for victory because the only special thing about my sushi rolls is how huge they are. I made simple, basic rolls that I enjoy a lot. My favorite, Avocado Maki is in the mix. Then I made some shrimp and chicken in breadcrumbs for the middle. I had some crab sticks and fish that I did not use. And some cucumber because why not?

I have made the sushi rice before and my recipe is adjusted from the first ''sushi rice recipe'' search result in google. I will mention the changes I made down below. Also, my proportions are different.

This took me a while to make, at least an hour and a half. But I made 3 huge plates of sushi that could comfortably feed five to six people.

Ingredients

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For rice

500 g sushi rice
90 ml rice vinegar
1 and a half tablespoon sugar
1 and a half teaspoon salt
Water to cover the rice. Around 1.5 to 2 cm

Fillings

5 to 6 leaves of algae paper
Philadelphia cheese
1 ripe avocado
150 g shrimp in breadcrumbs (I made my own)
100 g chicken
1 small cucumber
Any other fillings that you prefer and love

On the side

Soy sauce
Pickled ginger
Wasabi

So, let's start with the fact that I do not mess with my sushi rice. What does that mean? That means that if it says in the directions to rinse the rice 5 times, I will rinse it 6 times. That is the first thing I did.

I also followed the normal directions and added water so it covered my palm on top of the rice (around 1 cm). However, I would suggest having at least 1,5 cm of water on top of the rice. I had to add more water during the boiling process.

Also, use a wooden spoon during cooking if possible. That way the rice does not get that damaged.

When you have rinsed your rice and put it on the stove, let the water start to boil, it will take 4 minutes top. Now, this is where the change from the online recipe start. The second the water starts boiling, put it on the ultimate lovest heat that you have available and put the top on. It will take the rice around 30 minutes to become soft but not too soft. That is if you really have an option that drastically reduces the heat on the stove without switching it off completely.

In another pot, mix the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Put the heat up and let the salt and sugar somewhat disintegrate in the pot. For around 5 to 10 minutes depending on the hotness of the stove ring.

When there is almost no water left in the rice, add the mixture of vinegar to it. Yes, it will still be on the stove. Put the lid back on and leave for 10 more minutes (Remember 30 minutes of cooking in total).

When the rice is ready and tested through tasting, put it in a bigger bowl and let it cool. The rice should not be hard in the middle as if it is, it will stay that way.

While the rice is cooling by an open window or on a counter, you can cut and prepare your ingredients. I cooked my shrimp and chicken as well as cut up my cucumber.

The rice should be very sticky. I use gloves to put it on the algae leave as otherwise, it is impossible to work.

Also, this is a job you should do with your hands and not a spoon or whatnot. Take an algae leaf (you do not need the rolling mat I have if you use the algae leave on the outside of the roll) and put rice on it. Distribute it all over the leaf but leave the top a little bit empty. There should be around 4 to 5 mm thick layer of rice on the leaf and it should be on the sides of the leaf as well(not like in the picture).

Put your favorite ingredients in the middle. In the picture above you can see chicken in breadcrumbs, cucumbers, and Philadelphia cheese.

Roll up the roll and cut it with a bread knife. A normal knife will probably destroy your sushi rolls.

You can make sushi that is completely vegan or fill it with all the meats that you love. Just make sure that the tastes go well together.

And that is kind of it. A simple regular sushi recipe. I am proud to say that this time my sushi rice came out as it was supposed to. It tasted amazing and made the cooking experience completely worth it. It is still not as good as my favorit sushi in a small place that I know but I am certain that there they just know the sushi secrets and have way more experience than I will ever have! :D

This might be a third or fourth time in my adult life that I make proper sushi and this is the first time when I am proud of how it tastes. Iron chef is bringing out the best in my cooking!

Have a great day today, tomorrow, and forever!
Linda