How to Make Sushi Part 2: Ssshhhh! Silent Sushi Incursion!

Part 2 of my sushi special will have a rather different feel, because part 2 of preparing sushi has a rather different feel. Now, when I'm cooking I'm fairly high-energy. I zoom around, I kick cupboards shut, slam drawers, and I never put anything down carefully if I can throw it instead. I have learned from bitter experience that this mood doesn't work for sushi, at all.

I'm not going to get all pretentious about the exact correct way to prepare food - this isn't nouveau cuisine. But sushi is fundamentally fiddly and precise, and it needs a bit of concentration. For that matter, the mood and attention needed to prepare sushi can be really fulfilling. It's a characteristically Sino/Japanese approach, taking considerable time and care in a (relatively) simple activity, and thereby transforming it into an experience of meditation and calm magic. The same approach is shown (although more so) in the tea ceremony, where every fold of clothing must lie in the right position, every individual movement of the hands much be precise, every pause perfect. It's pretty breathtaking.

So shhhhh....listen closely.

I'm just going to cover making the basic maki (roll) today. Once you've got that down you can do anything. I used to jump around and try all kinds of different shapes, but last year I decided I was going to concentrate on learning to do just basic maki, as well as possible, so that's what I have photos of. There are plenty of guides knocking around the net on all sorts of different sushi shapes, you can look them up for yourself.

First, you'll want to have everything you need ready and neatly arranged. Pre-chop all your vegetables into thin strips (I use carrot, cucumber, scallions, peppers and mushroom usually), and where necessary shell, bone, clean and/or chop your fish and seafood. I use smoked salmon trims because they're delicious and cheap and the misshapes don't matter in rolls, prawns, seafood sticks, mussels, cod, snapper, all sorts. Best are things with a strong taste like the smoked salmon and prawns, milder fish like cod don't create such a strong contrast of flavours.

Your rice should be ready and cooled from part 1, and you'll want to cover it with a damp tea-towel so it doesn't dry out while you're working. The large burn-marks on the tea-towel are optional. Have a tablespoon sitting in a mug of water, which you'll use to scoop the rice out. Keep it in the mug when you're not using it, if it's dry the rice will start to stick and accumulate into a giant lump. Not good. Wipe down your surface so it's spotless, and arrange everything so you can reach it.

At this point, I've found the way to get best results and the most enjoyment from the process is to make sure your mind is really clear, you're calm and not thinking about other things. Whatever you do, don't try to make sushi in a rush or when your head is messed up, you'll bugger it up and just end up frustrated. I actually turn off any music I've got playing, sit down and do five minutes of meditation, just focussing on my breathing and excluding the rest of the world. Sounds over the top I know, but this is a process - and a food - worthy of that bit of time. In a sense the time you put into it makes it special, making it worthy of the time. Make sense?

Now you're ready to start. Take a sheet of nori, and place it shinier-side-down on the surface (it should try to roll up towards you if you've got it right). I put my smaller knife along the top edge to stop it rolling up as I lay the rice down.

Take a couple of tablespoons of the vinegared rice with your (wet) tablespoon, and spread them evenly on the lower half-and-a-bit of the nori sheet. Then add strips of seafood and some veggies, whatever you feel will go well together. At this point you need to be working steadily - don't rush, you don't have to be fast, but keep moving, because the nori sheet will absorb moisture from the rice and get a bit soggy, and it won't be as easy to roll.

Press down on the fish and vegetables with all your fingers, pushing them gently down into the rice to hold the roll still. Then, use your thumbs to bring the bottom of the nori sheet up and over, and start the roll. Once it's rolling, grip the whole length of it using all your fingers (see the photo) and keep squeezing it gently as you roll it, moving your fingers backward and forward just a little to keep it reasonably even, and gripping firmly. This makes sure it stays tight. It's all in the practice, folks.

Once you've got just a centimeter of nori sticking out, dip your thumbs in the mug of water and run them back and forth along the excess bit, pressing firmly. Remoisten if necessary. This will make that strip of seaweed wet and sticky. It'll actually start to rub off a bit under your thumbs. Then, grip the roll again and roll it forward over the end, then back and forth a few times, pressing firmly. If you do it right, it'll seal tight. The photo shows the seam side of a roll - you can hardly see the join, can you?

Put your rolls in the fridge until you've got them all done. They'll relax and seal a bit better while they're there. You don't want to keep them around for too long before eating, though, as they get a bit rubbery after a few hours.

Finally, the cut. This is where a really razor-sharp shallow-edged blade like a Global comes in really handy. If my Global hasn't been sharpened in the last week, I sharpen it before making sushi. You want to be able to cut by just moving the blade back and forth, almost no pressure but its own weight. That makes sure you don't squash the roll out of shape. Illustrated: Pretty much how it should be.

And the only thing left to do is present your sushi with panache. The bowl is for a mixture of soy sauce (as usual I advise you to try and find a soy which isn't too salty) and wasabi (japanese green horseradish). This is the first of several platefuls for me and the other half, and I like to add a few of the unused bits of veggies and seafood to each plate for variety. For extra joy, accompany it with strong drink served in small cups (but finish all your cutting first).

A few final notes: I'm not trying to claim this is genuine, authentic sushi, or in any way expert. I've made sushi maybe 20 or 30 times. My expertise is such that a real sushi chef might not beat me to death on seeing me work. These guys are serious, they train for years and their precision is extraordinary. But it's pretty good for what you can do at home with a reasonable amount of time and basic ingredients.

I was originally inspired and instructed by Hutch's now-legendary Mensa sushi guide. It's well worth a read. I've gathered tips and bits from all over the place, but this method is the result of my own experimentation - I've tried and eliminated the bamboo mat and various other complications, this is just what works for me. As usual, your mileage may vary, and I heartily recommend you experiment for yourself. With a bit of time and preparation, anyone can make sushi, and it'll more than repay your effort.

Mark Hewitt is an English foodie, cook, philosopher, geek, shaman and writer. At the start of 2007 he sold or gave away almost all his possessions and left on a backpacking journey round the world, the purpose being (at least in part) to figure out why he would want to do such a thing. You can follow his journey and find other articles at: Seeking An Extraordinary Life