Serves 8
Soy wraps
Japanese pear
candied ginger
cream cheese
3 tbsp honey
3 cups sushi
3 1/4 cups green tea
red bean paste
1/3 cup water
How to make it
Wash rice in cold water until the water runs almost clear. Once the water runs semi-clear, drain rice of any excess water and add 3 1/4 cups green tea.
Add enough tea to cover the rice and so that the tea comes up to the first knuckle on your index finger if you're touching the rice with the tip of your finger.
It's best to use a rice cooker at this point so that the rice comes out consistently, but if you choose to cook it on the stove then bring the green tea and rice to a boil and cover with a lid. Once you put a lid on the pan reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for 10 minutes. It is VERY IMPORTANT not to lift the lid during this last 10 minutes. The rice is STILL COOKING, even though the heat is off.
While the rice is cooking, heat 1/3 cups water and 3 tbsp honey in a pan until dissolved.
Remove from heat as soon as honey is well dissolved.
Also, at this time you can chop the candied ginger, cream cheese and pear into pencil-width strips.
When the rice is done, move it to a large (preferably wooden) bowl. Slowly add the honey-water mixture into the rice while mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula.
The goal is to fold the mixture into the rice.
You DON'T want to make mushy rice.
The rice should stay as individual rice grains and not a glutinous blob.
Another tip for making sushi rice is to let the steam (water) come out of the rice fast by mixing near a fan or open window.
The breeze will allow the water to come out of the rice while adding the flavor from the honey water mixture.
Store sushi rice at room temperature covered with a damp towel. This will keep the rice from drying out.
On a bamboo mat, spread about a cup of rice on a sheet of soy wrapper, leaving about half an inch of uncovered soy wrapper at one side.
Don't pack the rice, rolling will take care of that. The rice should be less than a 1/4 inch thick. The biggest mistake is using too much rice.
Place the candied ginger, cream cheese, and pear strips on the rice about one inch from the edge.
Slowly fold the mat over, tucking the end of the soy wrapper to start a roll. (Keep lifting up the mat as you go.)
Lessen the pressure slightly to straighten out the roll, if needed. Then continue rolling with medium pressure.
Remove roll from mat and cut into 6 even pieces. Important Tip: Keep the knife very moist to prevent sticking, remoistening before each cut. First cut the roll in half, then fold the two halves together and cut into thirds (6 pieces).
The finishing touch:
Fill an icing piper (or a freezer bag with a small corner cut off) with red bean paste or mashed prepared sweetened red beans. If the red bean paste is too thick, mix with a little room temperature water until a thin icing consistency is achieved. I chose to use a zig-zag pattern to decorate the rolls with, but experiment with different designs such as spirals, dots or rosettes.
