Kanpyō-maki (干瓢巻き, dried gourd thin roll)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Bamboo rolling mat (makisu)
• •Sushi rice tub (hangiri), or a wide shallow wooden or glass bowl
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment
• •Rice paddle (shamoji)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the rice

   Put the rice in a bowl, cover it with cool water, swirl with your hand, and pour the cloudy water away. Repeat until the water runs almost clear, then drain the rice in a sieve for 10 minutes. This washes off loose surface starch, so the cooked grains cling to one another without turning pasty.

2. 2

   Cook the rice

   Cook the drained rice with 360ml water in a rice cooker, or in a covered pot. For a pot, bring it to a boil, lower the heat, cook 12 minutes, then rest off the heat 10 minutes without lifting the lid. Sushi rice should be a little firm, because soft rice collapses when vinegar and rolling pressure arrive.

3. 3

   Make sushi vinegar

   Warm the rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt just until the sugar dissolves, then take it off the heat. Don't boil it. A little warmth helps the seasoning blend; boiling drives off the clean edge of the vinegar, and that edge is what keeps the rice lively.

4. 4

   Soften the kanpyō

   Rinse the dried kanpyō, soak it in plenty of water for 10 minutes, then drain it. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and rub the strips between your palms until they feel pliable, then rinse well. This shio-momi, salt rubbing, removes the dusty dried scent and roughens the surface slightly so the simmering broth can enter.

   Wash the salt away thoroughly. The salt has done its work by touch, not by staying in the pot.
5. 5

   Boil until tender

   Put the rinsed kanpyō in a small pot with fresh water to cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until a strip bends easily and a fingernail leaves a mark. Drain it. Do not season yet. Soy and sugar belong after tenderness, because they darken and flavor the gourd, but they won't rescue a dry center.

6. 6

   Simmer the filling

   Combine the dashi, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, mirin, and sake in a wide pot. Add the boiled kanpyō, bring to a gentle simmer, and set a wooden drop-lid, otoshibuta, directly on the strips, or use a circle of parchment with a small hole in the center. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the kanpyō is chestnut-brown, glossy, and the liquid has reduced to a few spoonfuls. Let it cool in the broth, then drain and cut the strips to the width of the nori.

   The drop-lid keeps the light strips submerged without stirring, and cooling in the broth lets the seasoning settle all the way through.
7. 7

   Season the rice

   Turn the hot rice into a hangiri, the shallow wooden sushi tub, or a wide shallow bowl. Sprinkle over the sushi vinegar and cut through the rice with a paddle while folding from the edges, fanning as you work, until the grains are glossy and only warm to the touch. Cutting and folding coat the grains without crushing them. Cover with a damp cloth.

8. 8

   Roll the maki

   Set a half sheet of nori rough side up on a bamboo mat, makisu, with a long edge facing you. Wet your fingers lightly with tezu and spread about 80g of sushi rice in a thin, even layer, leaving a 2cm clean edge at the far side. Make a shallow groove across the center, lay in one or two strips of kanpyō, then lift the mat and roll once to enclose the filling. Tuck gently, roll forward, and press just enough to square the roll. Too much rice makes the spiral heavy; too much pressure turns good rice into paste.

9. 9

   Cut and serve

   Set the roll seam-side down for 2 minutes, then cut each roll into 6 pieces with a damp, sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts. The clean face matters here: kanpyō-maki is simple, and simple food tattles. Serve the pieces the same day with pickled ginger and a small dish of soy sauce if you like.

Chef Tips

• •Buy dried kanpyō that is pale cream in color, flexible rather than brittle, and not yellowed at the edges. Tochigi kanpyō is the standard in Japan for good reason, but wherever it comes from, the strips should smell clean and faintly sweet after soaking.
• •Make the dashi yourself if you can. This is a plain roll, and plain food has nowhere to hide. For a meatless table, use konbu and dried shiitake dashi. That's honmono, not a compromise.
• •Use Japanese short-grain rice. Long-grain rice will not hold the roll properly, and adding more water won't teach it a new nature.
• •Do not overfill the hosomaki. A thin roll is not a contest of generosity. One line of filling, a modest layer of rice, and a clean strip of nori make the roll close neatly.
• •If your nori has softened, warm it briefly over a low flame or in a dry pan for a few seconds. It should smell toasty and feel crisp before it meets the rice.

Advance Preparation

• •The simmered kanpyō can be made 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated in its cooking broth. Drain it just before rolling.
• •The sushi vinegar can be made a week ahead and kept covered at room temperature.
• •Cook and season the rice the day you roll. Refrigerated sushi rice turns hard, and no amount of wishing makes it pleasant again.
• •Finished rolls are best within 2 to 3 hours, covered lightly with a damp cloth at cool room temperature. Do not pack them tightly, or the nori softens and the pieces lose their shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 255g)