Master Sushi Rice Platter

Master Sushi Rice
Herb Crab Salad Maki-Sushi
Tempura Shrimp Hand Rolls

Garnish

1/4 cup gari (pickled ginger) julienne
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped green scallions
Soy syrup, recipe follows
Wasabi oil, recipe follows

Master Sushi Rice

4 cups sushi rice (Calrose/short grain)
Water determined by Mount Fuji Rice Method, explanation follows
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mirin
1/2 cup sugar

Wash rice at least 3 times or until water is clear. >Fill rice cooker with water to about an inch over rice. I highly recommend a rice cooker, there's a reason more than 2 billion people in Asia use them.

Slowly heat vinegar, mirin and sugar until very hot but not boiling. Fold in "su" (vinegar and sugar) with hot rice, add enough so that the rice has a tart/sweet taste. Rice should be shiny, not mushy.

Carefully clean inside rim of bowl with damp cloth, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Mt. Fuji Rice Method: The Mt. Fuji method is a way to determine the correct amount of water for any quantity of rice. First wash the rice till the water runs clear to wash away all the starch. Then you put it in the pan, put your hand flat on top of the rice, and fill the pot with water until it reaches the first knuckle of your index finger (knuckle nearest your palm). It always works, no matter what the size of your hand.

Herb Crab Salad Maki-Sushi

1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 pound fresh picked crab
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup basil chiffonade
1 shallot, minced
Salt and white pepper to taste
4 sheets of yaki-nori

In a bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, lemon juice and oil. Add crab, herbs and minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper and check flavor.

Lay nori shiny side down on sushi mat and lightly pat on rice on bottom half of nori, 1/4" thick. Place crab filling 2/3's up on rice. Roll, moisten end to seal and let rest.

Tempura Shrimp Hand Rolls

2 cups rice flour
1/2 tablespoon togarashi or chili powder
1 quart cold club soda water
8 large butterfly shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 package daikon sprouts
4 sheets of yaki-nori, cut in half
8 scallion fans
Wasabi oil, recipe follows

In a bowl, mix flour with togarashi, or chili powder, and whisk in club soda until a pancake batter thickness is achieved.

Dip shrimp and scallions in tempura batter and fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Lay nori vertically with shiny side down. Using wet hands, lightly place a 1/4" thick layer of rice on bottom half of nori.

Place one shrimp and scallion fan diagonally across rice from top left corner to bottom right. Lay daikon sprouts on top and add a touch of wasabi oil. Roll a cone by bringing bottom left corner of the nori to half way up the right side edge, then roll over. Moisten top edge to glue. Repeat process.

Wasabi Oil

1/2 cup wasabi powder
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon sugar
Water
1/2 cup canola oil

In a stainless steel bowl, whisk together wasabi, mirin and sugar. Add water until a loose puree is achieved. Whisk in oil. For extra heat, use less oil.

Soy Syrup

2 cups thin soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 lime, juiced

Combine all the ingredients and reduce at a simmer until a syrup consistency is achieved, about a 60 to 70 percent reduction. Let cool.

To plate, on a huge white platter, drizzle soy syrup, wasabi oil, sesame seeds, gari and scallions all over. Slice maki-sushi using both bias and straight cuts. Place hand rolls leaning against sushi. Enjoy.