Tomato Sushi Recipes

VEGETABLE SUSHI

Steps:

• Make the rice. Combine the rice and 3 1/4 cups water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. A rice cooker is the best way to get perfect sticky-firm rice, but if you don't have one, just use a saucepan. Fold in the vinegar. Combine the vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Transfer the cooked rice to a large wooden bowl (traditionally, a wooden tub). Drizzle a quarter of the vinegar mixture over a wooden spoon or spatula onto the rice. Fold the rice gently with the spoon to cool it and break up any clumps; be careful not to smash the grains. Fold in the remaining vinegar mixture and let the rice sit 5 minutes. Spread the rice.
• Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. Place a half nori sheet rough-side up on the mat. Moisten your hands and scoop a handful of rice, slightly larger than a lemon, onto the nori. Press the rice to spread it evenly up to the edges of the nori, moistening your fingers as you go. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Prepare the vegetables. Peel the cucumber and slice into matchsticks. (Morimoto cuts the entire cucumber into a paper-thin sheet, then quickly slices it into strips-but he's had some practice.) Thinly slice the avocado, tomato and red onion; peel the tough ends of the asparagus. Add the filling. Carefully flip over the nori so it's rice-side down on the mat with the short end facing you. Spread a bit of wasabi paste in a line about one-third of the way up the nori-it's spicy, so use it sparingly. Arrange a few pieces each of lettuce, cucumber, avocado, tomato and onion in a tight pile in the lower third of the sheet. It's OK if the vegetables hang over the edges of the nori. Roll the sushi. Roll the sushi away from you with your hands, tucking in the vegetables as you go. Remove the mat from under the roll and place it on top. Press the roll into a compact rectangular log, using the mat to help you. Slice the roll. Cut the sushi roll into 4 to 6 pieces. Repeat with the remaining nori, rice and vegetables. Serve with pickled ginger and more wasabi. Photography by Rick Lew

TOMATO SUSHI

Steps:

• Combine 2 sheets nori, water, soy sauce, and salt in a saucepan and simmer. Reduce to half its volume then strain through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Leave to cool.
• Take each tomato and score an "X" on one end lightly with a pairing knife.
• Drop the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute.
• Transfer the tomatoes in an ice bath.
• Peel, quarter, and deseed the tomatoes.
• Marinate the tomatoes in the nori reduction for 4 hours.
• Whisk together rice vinegar, maple syrup, and salt in a bowl.
• Rinse glutinous rice in cold water.
• Combine rice and water in a pot. Bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• Pour vinegar and sugar mixture over rice and stir.
• With your hands, form rice into "sushi" portions.
• Top each portion of rice with tomato sushi and secure with a strip of nori.

TOMATO "SUSHI"

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F.
• Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 3-quart saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to cool. Drain tomatoes and peel off skin, using paring knife and beginning from scored end. Cut two thirds of tomatoes into quarters and arrange, cut sides down, in a lightly oiled shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with half of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon thyme and roast until tomatoes are caramelized, about 3 hours.
• While tomatoes are roasting, seed remaining tomatoes and finely chop. Cook onion and remaining garlic in 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until all moisture has evaporated, about 2 hours (mixture will resemble a thick purée). Drain tomato sauce in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, then discard liquid in bowl. Discard bay leaf.
• Macerate raisins in rum 30 minutes.
• While raisins macerate, bring rice and water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat to low and cook, tightly covered, until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand, covered, 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with vinegar. Toss rice gently with a fork and cool. Stir in tomato sauce, raisins (with any liquid), pine nuts, and mint. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar.
• Scoop rice mixture into ice cream scoop, packing it by pressing against side of bowl. Press lever to release "sushi" onto a platter. Top each piece with a roasted tomato, smooth side up, then lightly brush with oil and dust with cumin.

MEXICAN SUSHI

Steps:

• Mix together cream cheese and chipotle. Heat tortillas in microwave or oven to soften. Spread each tortilla with 2 Tbsp. chipotle cream cheese, 1/4 cup black beans and 2 Tbsp. salsa. Scatter one-third of the avocado and cilantro on each.
• Roll up tortillas tightly; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. To serve, unwrap and trim ends; cut each roll across into 6 pieces.