Many of you are probably quite intrigued by the idea of sweet sushi, after all sushi is a very savory, clean food, so it can be hard to imagine what a sweet, sticky version would taste like. However, we have often tasted sweet rice in our own English cuisine, in the form of dishes such as rice pudding! This is simply a more elegant, less gooey version of sweet rice.
We'll be topping our sweet sushi in this recipe with a thin slice of strawberry, and sprinkling it with sesame seeds, but you can use any fruit you like which would compliment the sweet rice; raspberries, peaches, pineapple and banana all work well. You can have mix and match with several toppings!
This sushi is in the form of a ball; the topping is balanced on top and it's a very elegant, beautiful dish. You can also use the same sweet rice recipe to make a sort of maki roll too, if you' prefer your fillings to be inside - just remember to use soy wrappers instead of nori for the outside!
Ok, let's get started!
You Will Need
1/2 Cup of Sushi Rice
1 Cup of Water
1 Tsp Lime Zest
Juice of one Lime
2 Tbsp Honey
Thinly Sliced Strawberries
The Recipe:
As usual, wash your sushi rice thoroughly to remove some of the starch, before placing in a pan with an equal quantity of water. Leave to boil until all the water has evaporated (leave the lid on) or has been absorbed. When the rice is cooked, but still hot, add the lime juice and zest, and the honey. Stir well, then allow it to stand with the lid on until cool.
To construct ball shaped sushi, you'll need some clingfilm. You might also want to wear some very lightly oiled rubber gloves to help handle the sticky sushi rice easily. When the rice is cool, take a small portion of it, and place in the centre of a piece of clingfilm. wrap the clingfilm upwards and spin it up tightly to make the sushi rice into a ball. Roll it on a board or use your hands to make a sphere, however you find is the simplest way. Repeat until you have made the desired quantity.
Next, if you haven't already, slice the strawberries into very thin slices lengthways. You can use a mandolin for this, but if you don't have one, or a sharp knife, use a serrated knife as it will maintain the strawberry shape best.
Place a slice of strawberry on top of each sweet rice ball, and if you like, brush over the top with a glaze of watered down honey, maple syrup or jam. Finish by sprinkling a few sesame seeds on top.
Your sushi is complete! You can make a dipping sauce to accompany it too if you desire, good options are chocolate ganache, jam flavoured with fresh lime, or maple syrup.