Hope Malau’s Cheat Sushi Balls and Pressed Sushi Squares
Drum food editor Hope Malau cooked these dainty sushi-style snacks at a Good Food & Wine Show in Durban in 2016.
Ingredients
For the sushi rice
625 ml (2 ½ cups) Spekko Royal Umbrella Jasmine Rice
750 ml (3 cups) water
15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar
60 ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
For the pressed sushi
2 × 200 g smoked salmon pieces
1 cucumber, peeled
Soya sauce
Sesame seeds
For the sushi balls
200 g smoked salmon trout
Soya sauce, avocado and wasabi to serve
Method
1. First make the sushi rice: Rinse the rice 4 times with tap water before placing in a pot filled with the water.
2. Heat to the boil, then reduce and simmer slowly for about 10 minutes. Stir vigorously, cover and let it steam for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and fluff with a wooden spoon. Transfer the rice to a glass or plastic bowl and add sugar, vinegar and salt. Fold the ingredients together and cool the rice quickly with a fan or paper fan until the vinegar evaporates.
4. To make the pressed sushi, line an 18 cm baking pan with cling wrap, so it hangs over the sides.
5. Arrange a layer of salmon pieces and cucumber on the base of the pan.
6. Spoon a little rice on top of the salmon and press down with your fingertips.
7. Spoon more rice to the edge. Fold the cling wrap over the rice place heavy weight (a brick covered with foil) on top and leave for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the weight, and turn out the sushi onto a serving plate. Gently remove the cling wrap and cut into neat squares.
9. Sandwich the squares and place on a serving platter.
10. To make the sushi balls: With wet hands make golf sized balls with sushi rice.
11. Place a piece of cling wrap over the palm of your hand, and line the inside with sliced salmon and drop in a rice ball over the salmon.
12. Wrap firmly around the ball of rice and salmon, ensure it is firm. Rest for 30 minutes before unwrapping.
13. Serve with soy sauce, avocado and wasabi