Saturday Night Specials

We are on our way to the Asian Market this morning. Thanks to Maria of Two Peas and a Pod a few weeks ago she shared that she had attended a cooking class at Viking Cooking School. I looked it up and found that they were teaching a Sushi Class, lucky me. Sushi is one of our favorites but since we are still not eating out we can't partake. We learned allot fresh fish is very important and a very sharp knife. Below is a few pictures of the sushi that the hubby and I made it is very obvious that we need lots and lots of practice. I know allot of people who don't like the seaweed, they have a new product witch is a soy paper wrap, which is similar to a thin tortilla. The soy paper wraps were bright in color yellow or green almost pretty, can't wait to try. My favorite of the night was the Spicy Tuna Roll.


Spicy Tuna Roll

4 ounces sashimi-grade fresh tuna coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Asian Chile garlic sauce, or to taste
1 green onion, green tops only very thinly sliced
2 sheets nori
2 2/3 cups prepared sushi rice
1 teaspoon prepared wasabi, divided, plus additional as an accompaniment
Pickled ginger as an accompaniment
Japanese soy sauce, as an accompaniments

1. Cover a bamboo sushi rolling mat in plastic wrap. Combine the chopped tuna, mayonnaise, chile garlic sauce and green onion slices in a small mixing bowl; set aside until needed.
2. Cut the nori sheets in half crosswise to make eight 4x7 inch sheets. Place a half-sheet of nori on the bamboo mat, shiny-side down, with the long side toward you at the edge of the mat closest to you. Dampen your hands with hand vinegar, then spread a scant 1/3 cup of sushi rice evenly over the entire half sheet of nori, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the top of the nori sheet uncovered to help seal the roll; be careful not to compact the rice. Do not make the layer of rice to thick, or it will not seal properly.
3. Spread a thin line of wasabi paste horizontally across the center of the rice with your finger. Form 1/4 of the tuna filling into a log shape; place on the wasabi line.
4. To roll, use your fingertips to hold the core ingredients in place, and use your thumb to push up the end of the mat closest to you Continue to roll up the nori sheet, pulling the bamboo mat out of the way, until the nori edges overlap by about 1/4 inch. Gently press the mat around the roll to shape it.
5. Use a very sharp knife to cut each roll, as a dull knife will tear the sushi roll apart. Clean and wet the knife between each cut with a damp towel. Cut down through the roll, using the entire length of the knife, with a quick, decisive motion, then pull the knife toward you. Do not use a sawing motion.
6. Cut each roll into 6 slices; attractively arrange on a serving platter, and serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce and additional wasabi as accompaniment.