– An Easy Spread –

Do you roll?
Like holding sticks?
Miss the smell of raw fish on your fingertips?
If you answered “Yes” to any of the above, this recipe is sure to satiate your appetite.

Hunting + Gathering

1. Be prepared to visit an international grocery store usually located painfully far from you
2. Be prepared to circle the mislabeled aisles
3. Be prepared to avoid eye-contact with those who’ve seen you haul your cart around them ten times still looking for an ingredient on your list
4.  Be prepared to subject fellow shoppers to racial profiling to ask them where you can find the ingredient
5. Be prepared to not be able to read the language on the ingredient

Spicy Salmon (OR Shrimp Tempura, OR California Roll) Sushi

Cooking Time:  1.5 hours (Actual time: 2.5 hours)
Serves:  5 (at 6 pieces each)
Cleaning Time:  1 hour
Investment:  Priceless

Ingredients + Equipment

TOTAL: $ 32.99

Bake Salmon

1. Wash salmon under cold water *Note: If cooking raw, please make sure you purchase Sushi or Sashimi-Grade fish because these are cryogenized to kill bacteria*
2. Marinate in lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon red chili powder
3. Cover with sliced foil
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes in oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit
5.  Cut in short, thin slices

OR

Shrimp Tempura

Deep-fry Shrimp

1. Skewer shrimp if you want to keep them straight and cover in Tempur
2.  Deep fry on or off skewers for 2 minutes until golden-brown. *Note: Turn on stove exhaust, open window – anything to keep the smoke detector alarm from sounding, because then you will end up with burnt shrimp while you try to fan the smoke away with a couch cushion*
3. Cut in short, thin slices

OR

California Roll (Vegetarian-Friendly)

Only use avocado and cucumber as filling.
(You can add sliced carrots, asparagus, or your favorite veggies)

OR

Imitation-Crab (Vegetarian-Friendly)

Use imitation crab instead of raw or cooked fish or shrimp.

Prepare Tezu

1.   Tezu is the mixture of 3 ¼ cups of water, 1/3 cup Rice Vinegar, 3 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt to a pot
2.  Heat on ‘LOW’ and mix until sugar is dissolved
3.   Allow to cool

Prepare Vegetables

Cucumber

1.  Strip cucumber skin off
2. But cucumber down the long side
3.  De-seed
4.  Cut short, thin slices

Avocado

1.  Cut avocados in half
2.  De-pit
3. Scoop avocado out from skin
4.  Cut short, thin slices

Prepare Sushi Rice

1. Wash 2 cups sushi under running water in tight-sealed cooker
2.  Strain water
3.  Add 2 ½ cups water
4.  Boil for 1 minute
5.  Simmer for 19 minutes
6.  Turn off heat and move cooker from stove
7.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes

Rolling

*Do:  Add your own touch by sprinkling roasted sesame seeds on Nori before rice*

*Don’t:  Add your own touch by leaving a strand of your hair in the roll*

1. Add Tezu to Sushi rice in a glass, porcelain, or wooden bowl
2.  Mix together without breaking rice
3.  Place first seaweed sheet (Nori) shiny side down on bamboo mat

4.  Ball rice in hand and spread over Nori
5. Leave space at top end of Nori empty

6.  Place strips of spicy salmon, cucumber and/or avocado in the center

7.  Place thumbs under bamboo mat to lift, roll forward, and over

8.   Use pinky finger to keep ingredients in the roll

9.  Move bamboo mat over the rice all the way and firm cylindrical shape
10.  Undo rolled bamboo mat to reveal Nori-rolled rice, spicy salmon, cucumber and/or avocado

Cutting Roll

*Don’t do this*

1. Use sharp knife to slice roll, according to preferred thickness of each piece
2.  Wipe knife clean between each cut to keep slices impeccable seeming

Dip

1.  Soy sauce and/or
2. Wasabi:  add desired amount of water to Wasabi powder to form a paste

Now this:

Recipe courtesy of kind staff and shoppers at Grand Mart, Harris Teeter, and Asian Gourmet Grocery.

Next month in From Start to Finish: Behind the scenes of food on campus!

About From Start to Finish: investigates how food gets in and comes out, develops new recipes, examines sources of nourishment and nutrition, and experiments with taboo sustenance.

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