Sushi BALLS
temari zushi
These delectable sushi balls are the nearest sushi style to nigiri zushi but are far easier to make, requiring neither specialized equipment nor years of training. All you need is plastic wrap or a handkerchief to shape the balls.
MAKES 20–30 pieces | PREPARATION TIME 25 minutes, plus sushi rice and ingredient preparation
INGREDIENTS
1oz (30g) smoked salmon, cut into 10 postage stamp–size pieces | 1⁄2 quantity sushi rice | 10 cooked shrimp | 1oz (30g) flying fish roe or caviar | wasabi paste
METHOD
1 Lay an about 4in (10cm) square piece of plastic wrap (or a clean, damp handkerchief; see Method) on a clean work surface and place a piece of smoked salmon at the center of it. Mold 1 heaped tsp of sushi rice into a loose ball and place on top of the smoked salmon.
2 Pick up all four corners of the plastic wrap and gather them in the middle. Twist the plastic wrap to compact the rice and form a small ball. Repeat the process to make 10 smoked salmon balls. Make 10 shrimp balls in the same way, but put 1⁄2 tsp flying fish roe or caviar in the cresent of each shrimp.
3 Keep each piece of sushi wrapped in the plastic wrap until just before serving. Put a dab of wasabi paste on each of the smoked salmon balls just before serving.
HOW TO SHAPE THE BALLS
Form the rice into a loose ball, but don’t overhandle it.
Adjust the shape of the ball with your fingers, if necessary.
Sushi balls