Ingredients for about 20 nigiri sushi with cheese:
1 1/2 cups brown sushi rice,
1 tablespoon rice vinegar,
1 teaspoon sugar,
2 cups cold water,
20 small slices of cheese (brie, parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella),
20 slices of ripe cocktail tomato,
20 leaves of cilantro or parsley,
20 nori strips cut from a sheet of nori, For serving:
soy sauce, as needed,
pickled ginger,
and wasabi.
Recipe: Rinse the rice and place it in a rice cooker or a small pot with the cold water. If cooking the brown rice in a pot, use low heat so it just simmers until all the water is absorbed, without lifting the lid or stirring. When the rice is cooked, let it stay for 10 minutes before lifting the lid. After that stir the rice gently with a spatula and fan the excess steam. Combine the rice vinegar and sugar and mix it into the rice. Let it stand for about 20 minutes to cool down, but not completely cold, as nigiri is better made with warmer rice. Make 20 nigiri rice balls using slightly wet hands. Use your finger to make a tiny dot of wasabi over each rice ball, place the tomato, cheese and cilantro leaves over each rice ball and secure each nigiri with a nori strip.
For the sushi in the picture I used goat brie cheese, but usually cheddar, mozzarella or parmesan are good choices for sushi with cheese.
About the author: George Krumov is a Red Seal certified chef with many years of culinary experience working around the world in Europe, the Middle East, the cruise line industry and North America. In the last two decades he has headed the kitchens of several restaurants in Canada, and ran his own restaurant.
