SUSHI, OLÉ!

An afternoon's entertainment--creating sushi with Spanish flavors.

What a fun project for a day of kitchen quarantine! Make sushi! 

Rummaging in the nether regions of my cupboard, I pulled out a big bag, tightly knotted, of unknown contents. Opened, it revealed a dozen packets of various Japanese ingredients. Some had labels only in Japanese and others I identified by the photos on the package (instant dashi—Japanese stock/soup). Only the cellophane sleeves of nori, the algae wrap used for sushi, were obvious.

Spanish paella rice for sushi? Sure.

I’ve never made sushi before. I had frozen shrimp and squid, but no fresh fish for serving raw. I didn’t have any “sushi rice,” a Japanese short-grained variety. I wondered if Valencian paella rice, which is a medium-short-grained variety, would work instead. Considering paella rice, I thought, “why not add some saffron to the rice?” Roll it in nori around a few gambas (shrimp), calamares and strips of red pepper?

There were a few more adjustments. Not having a flexible bamboo mat for rolling, I improvised with a dampened kitchen towel. (An on-line suggestion to cover the towel with plastic wrap did not work, as the cling-film clung, tearing the sheet of nori.) And, with an induction cooktop, how to toast the nori? Another helpful online video showed how to toast the nori by passing it over the top of a bread toaster.

Unfortunately, no wasabi, that pungent green horseradish that adds such a kick to sushi, remained in the trove of Japanese foods. I decided to forego the soy dipping sauce too. Instead, I used Spanish flavors—a pungent alioli (garlic mayonnaise) made with olive oil, of course, and a sprinkling of smoked pimentón (hot paprika). Sushi olé!

Rolled sushi with saffron rice, shrimp and red peppers.  They're kind of raggedy for a first attempt--but taste great.

No wasabi! Instead, a dollop of garlicky alioli.

Rolled nori sushi, bottom right, and hand-pressed sushi with squid, pimentón and olive oil.

Spanish Sushi Rice
Arroz para Sushi al Español

Having never before made sushi, I referred to the instructions in Japanese Cooking—A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji.

Sushi rice is supposed to be light, but sticky enough to hold together when gently compressed. Spanish paella rice (sénia and bahía varieties) seems to work just fine. The rice is washed in several changes of water (unlike the procedure for cooking paella). It needs less cooking water—2 cups water to 1 ½ cups of raw rice. 

You’ll need a deep pot for cooking the rice, so that it doesn’t boil over (mine did) during the high heat initial step.

Sushi rice, by the book, is made with a vinegar dressing containing sugar. I omitted the sugar. I added 1 teaspoon of PX Sherry vinegar. The kombu (kelp) flavors the rice. Omit it if not available.

For the vinegar dressing:
4 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon PX Sherry vinegar (optional)
3 tablespoons sugar (optional)

For the rice:
1 ½ cups paella rice
2 cups water
2-inch piece of kelp (kombu)
Pinch of saffron threads, crushed (optional)

Combine the vinegar, salt and sugar, if using, in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Cool completely.

Place the rice in a bowl and cover with water. Stir it around and drain through a fine sieve. Repeat, sluicing the rice in fresh water until the water runs clear (six to eight times). 

Place the rice in a deep cooking pot with the 2 cups of water. Add the kombu and stir in the crushed saffron, if using. Let the rice stand 5 minutes. Bring the water to a boil. Skim out the kombu and discard it. Cover the pot and boil the rice 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and cook until all the water has been absorbed, 10-12 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand with lid on for 15 minutes.

Fan the rice to cool it. This sushi rice has saffron!

Empty the rice into a shallow wooden or plastic bowl or tray. Use a wooden paddle or spoon to gently toss the rice, scooping it with horizontal, cutting strokes. Drizzle over some of the vinegar dressing and continue tossing. Alternate fanning the rice with a hand-fan (or folded newspaper) and tossing, while adding all of the dressing. Once the rice has cooled to room temperature, cover with a damp cloth until ready to use. 

Rolled Nori Sushi with Shrimp

When working with the rice, dip your hands in vinegar-water to keep the rice from sticking. Dip the knife in water when slicing the rolls.

I’ve used shrimp, red peppers and cucumbers for crunch in my “Spanish” sushi. 

8 ounces whole small shrimp
Salt
Ice water
Roasted and peeled red pepper or canned pimiento
½ cucumber
Sliced olives (optional)
3 nori sheets, toasted
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons vinegar
Sushi rice

To keep shrimp from curling during cooking, skewer them with a toothpick (optional). Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Have ready a bowl with ice water. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes. Skim them out into the ice water to stop the cooking. When they are cool, drain and peel them (taking care to discard picks).

Cut red pepper into thin strips. Peel cucumber and cut lengthwise into thin strips. 

Combine the water and vinegar in a shallow bowl and place it next to work surface.

Spread bamboo mat (or substitute a slightly dampened towel) on work surface). Lay a sheet of nori on top. Dip hands in vinegar-water. Scoop up a handful of rice and pat it over the surface of the nori, leaving the top ¼ uncovered.

To spread the rice, dip hands in vinegar-water to avoid its sticking.

Lay a row of shrimp, strips of red pepper, olives and cucumber across the bottom of the nori sheet. Hold the row of ingredients in place with fingertips and use your thumbs to lift the edge of the mat. The edge of the nori nearest you should be lifted over to meet the top edge of the nori sheet. 

Firmly press the mat around the roll for about 30 seconds to shape it. Carefully release the sushi roll from the mat onto a cutting board. Use a wet knife to slice each roll in half and each half into 3 or 4 crosswise pieces. Arrange them, cut sides up, on a serving platter.

Hand-Pressed (Spanish) Sushi with Squid

The classic nigiri-sushi usually features raw fish such as tuna, bream or salmon. I had squid fins in the freezer, so that’s what I used. (Any part of the squid can be used.) Use a sharp knife to score the flesh in a cross-hatch. Drop into lightly salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Squid will curl into a cone. Skim out and drop into ice water. Drain and cut the squid into small pieces.

Sushi rice
Vinegar-water for dipping hands (see above)
Cooked squid
Smoked pimentón, preferably hot
Coarse salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Alioli (optional)

Dip hands in the vinegar-water and scoop up about 1 ½ tablespoons of rice. Press gently into a wad. Shape it into a rectangular finger shape. Press a piece of squid into the top. Place on a tray and sprinkle with pimentón and salt. Drizzle lightly with oil. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with a dab of alioli, if desired.

Sushi “Paella” (Scattered Sushi)

Is it paella? No, it's a rendition of scattered sushi, using saffron rice.

Sushi rice with saffron
Cooked shrimp
Cooked squid
Strips of red pimiento
Cooked peas
Sliced black olives
Peeled lemon sections

Lightly pack the rice into a shallow bowl. Scatter the shrimp, squid, pimiento, peas, olives and lemon on top. 

Japanese Cooking—A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji (Kodansha International; 1980).

More recipes with kombu and nori seaweed here.