JAPANESE FOOD TOUR
THICK SUSHI ROLLS
Makizushi rolls from Higaki are often bought as
gifts for loved ones. This is because each day
Tomoaki Higaki puts all his concentration into
every piece he makes.
SERVES 4 PREP 1 hr COOK 20 mins
4 sheets nori seaweed
360g (12½ oz) short-grain rice
10cm (4 in) sheet kombu (kelp)
bunch of mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
or a handful of green beans
For the sushi vinegar:
80ml (2½ fl oz) rice vinegar
60g (2 oz) sugar
5g (¼ oz) salt
For the shiitake mushrooms:
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
100ml (3½ fl oz) water
45g (1½ oz) sugar
45g (1½ oz) soy sauce
For the omelette:
3 eggs
1 tbsp sake
30g (1¼ oz) sugar
5g (¼ oz) salt
cooking oil, for frying
Sushi rolls, or makizushi, are made by spreading
sushi rice over toasted nori seaweed, topping with
any of your favourite ingredients, and rolling it all
in a bamboo mat. While easily made at home,
there is one particular restaurant which must be
mentioned when talking about what real
makizushi is.
The restaurant is Higaki in the port city of Kobe.
On a busy day, they will sell 200 sushi rolls.
They’re a popular gift to bring to friends or family.
The owner, who rolls the sushi himself, Tomoaki
Higaki, was actually a ‘salaryman’ until he was 35.
He trained as a sushi chef, and eventually was
able to open his own place. ‘At first I was not able
to roll beautiful sushi myself. Only after 10 years
was I able to start rolling futomaki that
I could be satisfied with.’
Mr Higaki rolls sushi like a master. First, he
places the vinegared rice on the nori, followed by
the homemade atsuyaki tamago omelette,
fukumeni made with sweet-and-sour cooked
shiitake, and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) or other
greens for garnish. He then rolls them at once,
with one breath. Without measuring, he slices the
sushi into eight pieces, certainly and swiftly. The
cut surfaces are beautifully straight, and every
piece is exactly the same thickness.
FUTO-
MAKIZUSHI
seconds for the egg to begin to set, then use a
pair of chopsticks to roll the omelette into a
log towards the other end of the pan. Add a
bit more oil, then another ladleful of the egg
mixture, tilting the pan to coat. Wait a few
seconds and then roll the log back to the
other end of the pan. Repeat until all the egg
is cooked.
7 Trim the ends off the omelettes, then slice
into thin ribbons. Set aside.
8 Blanch the mitsuba in a pan of salted
boiling water very briefly, then remove and
drain.
9 Place a nori sheet on a makisu sushi mat,
and evenly spread the sushi rice on top,
followed by the egg strips, shiitake and
mitsuba. Roll firmly, using the mat, and
making sure that the vegetables are
contained. Leave to sit for
15–30 minutes so that the flavours can
mingle, then cut into bite-sized slices.1 Make the sushi rice. Wash the rice well in
water, put in a bowl and cover with plenty of
water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes, then
drain.
2 Place the rice and 360ml (12 fl oz) of water in
a rice cooker, place the kombu on top and cook
(if you don’t have a rice cooker, simply place
in a pan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for
about 20 minutes until the rice is tender).
3 Soak the shiitake mushrooms for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the rice vinegar, sugar and
salt in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the
sugar. Remove from the heat and set aside to
cool.
4 As soon as the rice is cooked, transfer to a
large bowl. Gradually add the sushi vinegar
and use a spatula to turn the rice, allowing it to
cool until almost at room temperature.
5 Place the shiitake in a saucepan along with
the water, sugar and soy sauce. Set over
medium heat and simmer until the liquid has
evaporated – about 10 minutes. Be careful not
to let it burn. Take off the heat and leave to
cool, then slice the shiitake into thin strips.
6 To make the omelette, whisk the eggs with
sake, sugar and salt. Heat a little oil in a
tamago-yakiki (a rectangular pan for making
Japanese omelettes), or a non-stick frying pan,
over a medium-high heat. When hot, add a
ladleful of the egg mixture to the pan, just
enough to make a thin, even layer. Wait a few‘While delicious fresh,
makizushi also have
a wonderful flavour
when eaten a little
later, when the flavours
have spread to the rice.’