I love Japanese food. It's interesting, it's tasty, and no matter what you put into your mouth, you are totally convinced you are eating healthily. In particular, a firm favourite of mine is sushi - technically the Westernised California Roll. Every time I was in a big London station rushed for food, I headed straight to Wasabi, yet I can't stand the taste of supermarket sushi (the rice tastes like plastic toy food, no?). The solution, when you're needing your next sushi fix and can neither make it to Japan nor Wasabi? D-I-Y!

I am no sushi expert, but I have dabbled at making it in the past, and liked it. It's actually quite straight-forward to make, and has the ability of being relatively inexpensive if you pick your ingredients carefully. With much other food I cook, it consists a lot of guessing and experimenting and not following recipes whilst hoping for the best. I think that makes me an excellent and completely reliable chef... So here it is: 

The Beview method of making sushi. 

You will need:

• A bamboo sushi mat (these are very cheap and easy to get your hands on - there's one just £1.28 from Asda)
• Big square sheets of roasted seaweed - "sushi nori" (again, you can get a pack for just over a pound)
• Sushi rice (it is shorter grain and stickier, but there's nothing stopping you from experimenting with regular rice!)
• Sushi fillings (suggestions): tuna, salmon, crabsticks, cucumber, egg
• Saucepan (bigger's better than smaller as the rice likes to expand)
• Metal baking tray, but a simple plate will do 
• Salad cream or Japanese rice vinegar
• Knife and chopping board

Sushi step by step:
1. Wash 500g rice in a bowl or pan - rinse out several times but make sure you don't lose any rice in the process
2. Put the 500g rice in a saucepan and fill with 750ml of cold water. This feeds 5+ (but equally depends on how hungry those 5 are)
3. Bring to boil (that's when the water starts to bubble, for those who don't know but pretend otherwise)
4. Simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed - if in doubt, it's better for the rice to be sticky than dry
5. Leave to stand on a heatproof mat for 10 minutes. If you want to use rice vinegar, mix it in with the rice now
6. Cool the rice down by spreading it thinly on a plate; a metal baking tray tends to do the trick quicker. If you put it in the fridge, it should be cool within 10 minutes

7. Whilst waiting for the rice to cook or cool down, prepare the fillings:

Fillings:
Salmon: If fresh, cut into thin long strips. I went for canned salmon as a cheaper alternative; it's also very tasty, or canned tuna.
Egg: Whisk egg then cook on a frying pan - don't scramble it so the egg stays relatively flat
Crabsticks: Peel into strips
Cucumber: Cut into thin, long strips 
Anything else: Excuse the repetition, but cut into thin, long strips and you kind of get the picture...

8. Clean your surfaces and put the bamboo mat out. Place a piece of seaweed onto it with the shiny side facing downwards.
9. Spread the rice evenly over approximately 3/4 of the seaweed (leave the top riceless)
10. Place the filling(s) in a thin line from left to right. A drizzle of salad cream is super delicious too. 
11. Roll the mat tightly from the bottom upwards, ie. starting with the side closest to you - the more strength you put into it, the better the result will be. Think of it as a very productive form of stress relief!

12. Keep rolling and tucking the seaweed in so it all sticks together. Once it is a long roll, you could wrap it up in cling film and leave it into the fridge, or serve straight away.
13. To serve, simply cut into slices with a sharp knife. You can usually have about 8 sushi rolls from this. 
14. Dip sushi into soy sauce or wasabi (optional), or simply salad cream. 
15. Enjoy!

Sayonara,
Bev x

Ps. Disclaimer: I am not an actual chef. If you are looking for a professional recipe by a renowned chef to make delicious and fool-proof sushi at your special dinner party for your Michelin-starred guests, keep looking.