Salmon and Cucumber Hosomaki

Place the sushi rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear, usually 4-5 rinses. Well-rinsed, perfectly cooked rice is the foundation of every great cucumber hosomaki.

Move the rinsed rice into a pot and pour in 360 ml of cold water. Let it soak for 10 minutes. Then cover with a lid, bring to a boil and immediately reduce to the lowest heat setting. Cook for 12-15 minutes until all the water is absorbed - do not lift the lid.

Meanwhile, gently warm the rice vinegar with the sugar and salt in a small saucepan, stirring until fully dissolved. The mixture must not boil, just warm it through.

Transfer the cooked rice to a wide bowl, pour over the vinegar dressing and gently fold with a wooden spatula using cutting motions. Do not press or stir in circles, keep the grains intact.

While folding, fan the rice (using a plate or fan) to help it cool faster and develop its characteristic silky sheen. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool to room temperature.

Cut the salmon. With a sharp knife, slice it into thin strips roughly 8-10 cm long and 1 cm wide, drawing the blade toward you in one smooth stroke rather than sawing back and forth. This keeps the cut clean and prevents the fish from crumbling.

Wash the cucumber, trim the ends and cut into thin long batons of similar dimensions to the salmon. If the cucumber contains a lot of seeds, scrape them out with a spoon first and use only the firm flesh.

Cut each nori sheet in half lengthwise with scissors, from one sheet you get two half-sheets, giving you 8 pieces in total for 8 rolls.

Place one half-sheet of nori on the bamboo mat (makisu) shiny side down and rough side up, with the longer edge facing toward you.

Wet your hands with water to prevent the rice from sticking, and evenly spread a thin layer of sushi rice over the entire surface of the nori. Leave about 1 cm of bare nori at the top, this will be used to seal the roll.

If using wasabi, spread a very thin strip across the center of the rice using your fingertip.

Place 1-2 strips of salmon or cucumber in the center of the rice. One filling per roll is enough to keep the hosomaki nicely slim and compact.

Using the bamboo mat, begin rolling from the bottom edge toward the bare strip of nori. Roll firmly but carefully, the roll should be tight, but not over-compressed, so the filling doesn't deform.

Lightly moisten the bare edge of the nori with a damp fingertip, roll all the way to the end and press firmly for a few seconds so the nori seals and the roll holds together.

Roll the remaining half-sheets in the same way, alternating between salmon and cucumber filling as desired.

Using a sharp, dampened knife, cut each roll into 6 equal pieces. Wipe and re-wet the blade between each cut to keep the cuts clean and prevent the rolls from deforming.

Arrange the hosomaki on a plate cut side up, and serve with soy sauce in a dipping bowl, pickled ginger and wasabi on the side.