Sushi Rice (Sushi Meshi)

Instructions

Half an hour ahead, fill the hangiri, the shallow wooden tub, with water and let it stand. The soaked wood will keep the rice from sticking to it. If you have no hangiri, a large bowl or a cookie sheet will do later on.

Make the sushisu by stirring the vinegar, sugar and salt together in a saucepan over heat until everything dissolves. Do not let it boil. Set it aside to cool to room temperature, and use less sugar if you like the rice less sweet.

Wash the rice in a pot half filled with cold water, swirling it with your hand until the water turns chalky white. Drain carefully and repeat several times, until the water stays clear. Let the rice stand for 30 minutes, either in its cooking water or drained in a colander.

Put the rice in the pot with the 400 ml of water, a small sheet of kombu about 8 cm across, and the sake if you are using it. Bring the water to a boil, then lift out the kombu just as it boils and lower the heat.

Simmer the rice for 20 minutes with the lid on. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for another 10 minutes without lifting the lid.

Tip the hot rice into the drained hangiri. Pour the sushisu over it and cut it in gently with a paddle, using a slicing and folding motion like the one for egg whites, so the grains stay whole. The rice is ready for the next stage when every grain is coated and shiny.

Cover the rice with a cloth for a couple of minutes so it absorbs the dressing. Then cool it to body temperature by fanning it while you keep cutting through it with the paddle. Use the rice within a few hours, as it cannot be made a day ahead.