If you’re looking to impress guests with an Instagram-worthy dish, you can’t do much better than homemade sushi. But what if we told you that you could put together this magnificent meal without going through the trouble of rolling it?
Enter Andrea Buckett, the superstar culinary creator whose simple and straightforward cooking videos have probably already crossed your social media feed. She recently shared a special episode of her series “What the Hell Am I Going To Do With This?” in which she instructed our very own Katie Couric on how to use a batch of surplus carrots — and the delicious carrot and goat cheese spread she whipped up is the stuff kitchen dreams are made of.
So as we were putting together a rice-themed edition of Good Taste, our weekly foodie newsletter (which you can subscribe to right here), we called on Buckett to see what she might have in store. She shared a recipe for sushi pockets (also called onigirazu) that makes this beautiful treat as easy as can be.
“Sushi was something my boys always requested if I was dropping them a special lunch at school,” Buckett says. “I was happy to oblige because it was filling and healthy, and they always ate every bite. I wish I had this recipe in my back pocket back then — it would have saved me so much money on takeout sushi.”
Andrea Buckett’s Sushi Sandwiches
Ingredients (for four pieces)
1 cup sticky rice
1 and 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
4 roasted nori sheets
Options for different filling combinations:
- Fried egg, pickled onion, sprouts, cilantro, mayo-sriracha
- Avocado, red pepper, cucumber, smoked salmon, sesame seeds, pickled ginger
- Terriyaki tofu, wilted spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, wasabi mayo
- Shredded chicken, kimchi, sprouts, basil
- Roasted Portobello mushroom, goat cheese and pickled beets
Instructions
1. Place rice, water, and salt in a medium pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for another 10 minutes.
2. Remove lid from rice and use a fork to fluff rice. Set aside uncovered.
3. Place a piece of plastic wrap on your work surface, large enough for your nori sheet to be placed on top.
4. Place one nori sheet on the plastic wrap so that it looks like a diamond.
5. Place ¼ cup of the cooked sushi rice in the center of the diamond. The sushi rice should be roughly shaped like a square.
6. Top the rice with the fillings of your choice. Be sure to keep the fillings directly on top of the rice.
7. Finish by topping with another ¼ cup of cooked rice.
8. Use the plastic wrap to fold your onigirazu by bringing in the top and bottom points of the nori sheet, followed by the left and right points of the nori sheet. Use the plastic to firmly wrap your onigirazu square. Gently press the square together to firm up all the ingredients tucked inside.
9. Place in fridge for a minimum of 10 minutes up to overnight.
10. Use a sharp knife to cut through the center of your onigirazu and serve with your choice of condiments (such as soya sauce, wasabi, sesame seeds, or pickled ginger).
