Salmon And Cucumber Sushi - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Koshihikari rice (sushi rice)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp sea salt flakes or 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
4 sheets toasted seaweed (yaki nori)
1 tsp wasabi paste
1/2 small cucumber, seeded, sliced
5 oz sashimi grade salmon fillet, cut into 1/3-inch thick strips
None None Soy sauce and pink pickled ginger, to serve

Preparation

Place rice in a bowl and fill with cold water. Swish with hand to release excess starch from rice; drain. Repeat process three times until water is almost clear; drain. Place rice and 1 3/4 cups water in a medium saucepan on high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for about 12 mins or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 mins.
For the sushi vinegar, mix rice vinegar, salt, sugar and mirin in a small bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved.
Place rice in a large bowl. Gradually add the sushi vinegar with a flat wooden spoon or plastic spatula. Fan the rice for a few minutes, folding rice occasionally from the outside to the center of the bowl, until rice is almost cool. (This may be done by hand or with an electric fan set on low). Cover rice with damp cloth.
Place some water and a little rice vinegar in a small bowl. Place one sheet of seaweed, shiny side down, with long side across the bamboo mat, about 3/4 inch from edge of mat closest to you. Dip fingers into bowl of water to stop the rice from sticking. Spread 1/4 of the rice on the seaweed, leaving 1/4 of the seaweed at the top uncovered. Make a long indentation across the rice about 1 inch from the edge closest to you. Using your thumb, spread a 1/4 of wasabi in the indentation.
Place 1/4 of the cucumber and salmon over wasabi. Pick up the edge of the mat with index fingers; roll mat forward, pressing firmly as you roll.
Roll can be left round, or exert gentle pressure on top and sides of mat to make a square. Repeat to make 4 rolls. Wipe a sharp knife with a damp cloth, cut rolls into 6 even pieces, wiping knife between cuts. Serve sushi with soy sauce and picked ginger.