futomaki
by sanae
My mother would ask me what I’d like to eat for my birthday parties. Futomaki, I’d say. I wanted to impress my friends with beautiful Japanese cooking and anyway, they were always nagging me for sushi. The first question I’d hear was: do you eat a lot of sushi? No, I’d answer, almost never! Only for special occasions like New Year’s. I received dubious looks. They were skeptical of my poor sushi eating. Birthdays seemed special enough, though.
The truth is futomaki require meticulous preparation, you shouldn’t be rushed when you make them, otherwise they will fall apart and then you find yourself with exploded maki. Eating exploded maki with slippery shiitake mushrooms is difficult even for experienced chopstick users.
Contrary to belief, these aren’t impossible, or even that difficult to make, especially if one follows the steps and is patient. This is not the time to be experimental and throw blobs of rice around your kitchen. Play some Erik Satie and chop your carrot into perfect matchsticks. You are bound to impress your friends.
Futomaki
(Fat maki)
Ingredients:
1 small carrot, julienned
Salt
2 big dried shiitake mushrooms (or fresh, if you don’t have dried), soaked in warm water until soft ~30 minutes
Tamari
Mirin
A small handful of leafy greens, such as spinach or leaves of radish
Small piece of leftover fish, such as salmon (optional)
Half an avocado
Juice of lemon
Sesame seeds
2 small eggs or one large egg
Grapeseed oil
2 cups (Japanese size) white rice
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
Directions:
Cook the rice following instructions for plain white rice. Once cooked, stir with 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
While the rice is cooking:
Add carrots to a small saucepan with one tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Cook on low heat, covered, until just soft (they should be firm) for a few minutes. The carrots will become very sweet.
Slice the shiitake into thin strips. Cook the shiitake with the soaking water, a drop of tamari, and a drop of mirin, over low heat. Cover for the first few minutes, then continue cooking uncovered until the liquid has evaporated. The shiitake will look shiny and moist.
Cook the leafy greens in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, then squeeze out the water and set aside.
Break salmon into small pieces with chopsticks and add a pinch of salt.
Lightly whisk eggs with a fork in a bowl. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of tamari. Thinly coat a hot pan with grapeseed oil. Pour eggs onto a very hot pan and quickly roll into an omelet. Set the omelet aside.
Slice avocado into thin strips and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.
To assemble the futomaki:
Fill a small bowl with water. This is for your fingers so the rice doesn’t stick to your hands. Wet your fingers and spread the rice thinly on the nori. Add the filling, for example avocado slices and sesame seeds. Roll the maki carefully. Dry your hands. With a clean knife, slice the maki into disks. Clean the knife with a wet towel if the blade is sticky from the rice.
My favorite combinations:
Salmon and greens
Egg, greens, carrots, shiitake
Avocado, lemon juice, sesame seeds
