HOW TO COOK SALMON FOR SUSHI RECIPES

Steps:

• Tip the rice into a sieve. Place under a cold running tap and rinse until the water runs clear, then drain really well and place in a saucepan. Pour over 350ml water. Bring to the boil and cook about for 5 mins until most of the liquid has boiled away and small holes appear in the rice. Turn the heat down as low as it will go. Cover the pan with a really tight-fitting lid or tin foil and leave for 10 mins. Then turn off the heat and leave for another 10 mins.
• Heat the rice wine vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt together in the microwave for about 30 secs until the sugar dissolves. Tip the cooked rice into a large bowl. Pour over the warm rice wine mixture and stir through, then leave the rice to cool down.
• Line a 20 x 20cm baking tin or similar-size dish with a double layer of cling film. Spread the sushi rice over the bottom of the tin (the mixture will be a little sticky, so you may have to wet your hands to do this). Then cover the rice completely with smoked salmon slices. Fold the cling film over the salmon to cover pressing down well with your hands to mould everything together. You can chill the sushi in the fridge until ready to use, but try not to chill it for longer than 3 hrs or the rice will harden.
• To serve, dip a sharp knife into a little hot water to stop the rice from sticking, then cut into 16 rectangles.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse rice in several changes of water, jostling rice with fingertips, until water runs clear. Set in a sieve over a bowl to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients (at least 20 minutes).
• Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, slice ginger paper-thin along the grain (to yield 1/2 cup). Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add ginger, and blanch 5 seconds; drain. Return pot to stove and add 3/4 cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons water. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reserve half the vinegar mixture (this will be used to season your rice); add blanched ginger to remaining vinegar mixture and set aside. Cool completely.
• Place rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to lowest setting and cover. Cook until rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes (alternatively, cook rice in a rice cooker according to manufacturer?s instructions). Remove from heat. Let sit with lid on, 10 minutes more. Transfer rice to a large bowl; cool 5 minutes. Fold in one-quarter of the reserved vinegar mixture with a wide spatula or plastic bench scraper, fanning the rice while you fold in vinegar mixture to cool it down quickly. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Reserve remaining vinegar mixture for assembling.
• While rice cooks, season salmon generously with salt and let stand 10 minutes. Pat dry. Meanwhile, toss cucumbers and carrots with remaining 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and sesame oil. Set aside. Roast salmon on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool, then flake into 6 portions.
• To assemble, place 1 sheet of nori, shiny-side down, on a bamboo rolling mat with the long side closest to you. Dampen hands with reserved vinegar mixture and gently press 3/4 cup rice evenly across nori, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise evenly across center of rice. Layer 1/3 cup vegetable mixture, 1 portion salmon, and a few slices of avocado evenly across middle of rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Starting with the edge closest to you, use the mat to fold the bottom third toward the center, pressing evenly across the roll to compress the filling. Repeat with another turn and gently press again. Remove mat. Lightly wet a sharp knife with vinegar mixture and cut into 6 equal pieces. Repeat with remaining sheets of nori. Serve with reserved pickled ginger and soy sauce.