Mosaic Sushi

Not only is this interesting to look at, it is very fun to make – and of course tastes great! I love making sushi with different combinations of fish, sauces and vegetables, but decided to try out a new style with the mosaic layering. If you are like me and ready to try something new with your sushi, I recommend giving this recipe a shot!

Pictured side dish: Homemade Tamago (Japanese thin egg omelet)

MOSAIC SUSHI INGREDIENTS (Yields 9 pieces)

Sushi nori, cut in half
2 cups sushi rice (short grain)
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 cup blackberries
1/2 lb sushi grade salmon
1/2 lb sushi grade tuna
Krab sticks x 6, halved
Wasabi

There are some components to this recipe that are a little tricky. I recommend watching this video a few times to get the hang of it before you start rolling! If you watch the video, please note I replaced the carrot ginger sauce with wasabi, replaced the cucumber sticks with crab sticks, and replace the raspberries with blackberries.

MAKE THE SUSHI RICE
Place 2 cups of rice in a strainer, and rinse repeatedly for 10-15 minutes until the water runs clear. Place in a pot with 3 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and leave for 20 minutes with the lid on. When the rice is soft and sticky, and the water has evaporated, remove from heat and let cool.

In the meantime, pour ½ cup rice vinegar, 1 tsp salt and ¼ cup sugar into a saucepan over medium heat, and cook until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Once the rice has cooled, pour in the vinegar mixture and stir together.

PURPLE SUSHI RICE
Separate your rice into two even bowls. Place blackberries in a mesh strainer over one bowl of rice, and juice the berries with a wooden spoon. The goal is to get the blackberry juice in the rice bowl, while catching the pits and seeds with the strainer.

PREP THE FILLINGS
Cut the nori sheets into 1/2 pieces and set to the side. The dimensions should roughly be 4.5” x 7.5”

Cut each krab stick into ½ and set to the side. Cut the sushi grade tuna and salmon into 1/4 inch strip and set to the side. The length of the krab, tuna and salmon should be approximately the width of your nori sheet (~4.5”).

ROLL THE ROLL!
Lay out one of the halved pieces of nori (shiny side down), and scoop a thin layer of white rice on top. Coat your fingers in some rice vinegar to prevent the rice from sticking to you, and evenly spread the rice to coat the nori. Leave 2 inches at the end without rice.

Take 4 of your halved krab sticks, form back into a square, and place at the end of the nori sheet (rice side up). Tightly roll the nori around the krab until you reach the end of the rice, using your fingers to help curl the sheet over. Trim the excess nori sheet, and set to the side as you prepare the next layer.

Repeat the step of spreading the rice, now with the purple rice. Once it is evened out on a new nori sheet, place your rolled krab at the edge, and roll together until you reach the end of the purple rice. You should now have 1 large roll of krab, white rice and purple rice. Trim the excess nori sheet.

Next, you will need to cut your large roll into quarters. Use the inner krab sticks as a guide to where you should cut, and begin by cutting down the middle (the long ways) and cut the roll completely in half. Then take each half, and cut once more. You should be left with 4 crescent roll shapes.

Combine 2 new half sheets of nori (the long way) by spreading a few grains of sticky rice at the edges to act as a “glue” and seal them together. Press down with your fingers to allow the sheets to adhere together.

Place 2 of the quartered roll segments side by side on the edge of your long nori sheet, starting at the end closest to where you are standing. Make sure that the krab slices are facing outwards on each side, and push the two quartered pieces together so you have a small V-shape in the middle. Fill this V with a thin layer of wasabi.

Fill the V with 2 pieces of your cut sushi grade tuna, and 2 pieces of your cut sushi grade salmon. Bring them together within the V to form a rough diamond shape, alternating the pieces of tuna and salmon. Bring your remaining 2 quarters of white/purple rice and krab, and position them on top of the roll to complete the square shaped piece. Again, ensure that your krab pieces are facing outward, and hold all of the pieces together tightly with your fingers. You will now roll the square several times until you reach the end of the long nori sheet. Use your fingers and a few grains of sticky rice to seal the end of the nori to the roll.

CUT THE MOSAIC
Now that you have one large rolled square, run cold water over your knife, and begin by trimming off one of the end pieces. Once you have gotten rid of the uneven end ingredients, you should see the mosaic within your square. Continue to cut (rinsing your knife under water each time) approx. 2 inch pieces. You should get approximately 3 square sushi pieces per roll.
Repeat this process 2 more times, and lay your pieces next to each other on a flat surface for the full mosaic effect.

TAMAGO INGREDIENTS (If making)
3 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp dashi
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar

Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl, and bring a skillet to medium heat. Coat the skillet with cooking spray or oil, and pour in the whisked ingredients like you are making a thin-layered omelet. Cook over medium heat for approx. 5 minutes until the bottom of your omelet starts to slightly brown. The top of your omelet should still be uncooked. Starting at the end of the skillet closest to you, use two spatulas to tightly roll the omelet into a cylinder shape. Once the omelet is compactly rolled, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 2 more minutes. Use the spatulas to flip the omelet, and cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Let cool and slice into 2 inch squares for serving.