Christmas Sushi

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A Christmas Sushi Tree is a fun appetiser to serve to a crowd.

Prep Time1

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: New Zealand

Keyword: Christmas Sushi, Christmas Sushi Tree

Servings: pieces

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Stacey

Start by rinsing the sushi rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer. This step is crucial—it helps remove excess starch and ensures your rice turns out fluffy and not sticky.
In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed sushi rice and 2 ½ cups of water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 18-20 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid during this time to keep the steam in!
Once the rice has cooked, remove it from the heat and let it sit, covered, for another 10 minutes. This resting period allows the rice to finish steaming.
While the rice is cooking, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Leave the ingredients to soak while the rice cooks, it should then be easy to get the sugar to dissolve in the vinegar.
Transfer the warm rice to a large bowl and drizzle the vinegar mixture over it. Gently fold the rice with a spatula or paddle to mix it in without mashing the grains. This step adds that classic sushi rice flavor!
Let the rice cool

Toast the sesame seeds. Preheat a pan to a low heat, add the sesame seeds and heat until they are lightly toasted and fragrant.
Place the nori sheets into a food processor, pulse until they are crumbled .
Add the sesame seeds and salt to the food processor. Pulse just a couple of times to combine all the furikake ingredients.

Skin and debone the salmon, cut into 1 cm batons.
Pop the cream cheese into the freezer for ½ an hour so it is very firm. Slice the cream cheese into 1 cm batons, then return to the freezer.
Peel then slice the avocado into 1 cm batons.
Slice the cucumber into 1 cm batons.

Start by cutting the nori sheet in half.
Place a halved piece of nori on the bamboo mat with the shiny side down.
Place roughly xx cups of sushi rice on the nori sheet and spread it so it covers the seaweed in an even layer. I find a damp spatula, or the damp back of a spoon works best.
Lay a piece of baking paper or parchment on top of the rice.
Flip the seaweed, rice and baking paper over so that the baking paper is now face down on the bamboo mat and the nori is face up.
Lay the cucumber, salmon, cream cheese and avocado across the centre of the nori.
Start rolling from the bottom, until the sushi is formed int a cylinder.
Slightly wet the blade of a sharp knife and slice the roll into 6 pieces. First, slice it into halves and then the halves into thirds. Clean the knife with a wet towel between cuts to prevent the rice from sticking to the knife
Roll the sushi: Cut the sushi:
Unroll the bamboo mat, remover the baking paper then roll the sushi roll in the seaweed sprinkle.
Using a sharp knife slice the sushi into 6 pieces.
Make 6 of these sushi rolls so that you end up with 36 pieces of sushi.

Arrange 11 pieces of sushi on a platter in a circle
Then layer 9 pieces of sushi in a smaller circle top of the 11, then 7, then 5, then 3, then 1 to make a Christmas tree shape.
Use a star shaped cookie cuter or a sharp knife to cut the yellow capsicum into a star to sop your Christmas sushi tree.

Don't be tempted spread the rice too thickly over the nori sheet, you want an even covering but not too thick. Less is more when it comes to creating the perfect uramaki sushi roll.
Water is your friend whenever you are making sushi. Keep your hands and utensils damp when you are handling sushi rice, this will stop it sticking to everything.
Sushi can be made in advance, you just need to be sure to keep it refrigerated. Sushi that is left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours should be discarded, but if it is stored in the fridge at less than 4 degrees celsius
Sushi Rice: You can make homemade sushi rice either on the stove top, in a rice cooker or if you have a pressure cooker try instant pot sushi rice.
Sesame seeds: I like to use a mix of white and black sesame seeds but you can use just one colour.
I fill my Christmas Sushi with salmon cream cheese, avocado and cucumber, The pink white and green combo seems festive to me. But you can make any flavor sushi you would like. You could go for your favourite flavours and simple fillings like carrots, tuna or teriyaki chicken. Or lean into a red, green and white theme with: Green Beans, Red Capsicum, Sushi Mayo,
Yellow capsicum/bell pepper: This is to create a star for the top of the sushi tree.