Viva Lewes June 2015 Issue #105

food
Photos by Lizzie Lower
Make Your Own Sushi
Miso hungry
I’ll wager we’ve all got at least one obscure and exotic
condiment lurking at the back of the larder.
Purchased in a fit of Sunday supplement-induced
culinary zeal, its ‘best before’ date expired and any
recollection of how to use it a distant memory.
It’s wonderful then that there are the likes of David
and Nicola McCarthy, at Big Life Organics, to
light the way. I’m attending a ‘Make Your Own Sushi’
workshop in the perfectly formed demonstration
kitchen behind their shop in Haywards Heath.
The counter is busy with exotic-looking bottles
and packets. Some I recognize from the back of my
cupboard, others I’ve never heard of.
Over a cup of Kukicha tea Nicola introduces them.
There’s mirin, shoyu and dried shitaki mushrooms.
Tempeh, ponzu, wasabi and nori. Koya tofu, sweet
rice, brown rice, brown rice vinegar... the list goes
on. They’ve also got some reassuringly authentic
kit. Customary rolling mats, bamboo rice bowls and
deeply glazed, jewel-coloured dishes. David sharpens
wafer-thin knives on a whetstone; their bright
edges all the better to reveal the innards of each roll.
Nicola talks us through the preparation of the rice
– a balance of sweet rice and short grain brown
rice that is cooked at pressure for 45 minutes, rendering
it sticky and soft without the need to add
sugar. The McCarthy’s follow a macrobiotic diet
(for which Big Life is a hub of expertise and ingredients)
so the prepared fillings are all vegan
but interchangeable for more omnivorous appetites.
There are slivers of cucumber, red pepper,
blanched green beans, alfalfa sprouts, marinated
dried shitake mushrooms, glazed tempeh and tofu.
We learn the delicate art of flavour combinations
and - crucially - which of those exotic bottles to
reach for, when.
Nicola deftly demonstrates three types of sushi – a
large nori roll; substantial and ideal for travelling:
A more delicate version, great for kids or canapés:
And an inside-out roll – with (guess what?) the rice
on the outside. She expertly coats the nori with
just the right amount of seasoned rice, keeping the
edges pristine and rolling the filling in with a tight
tuck and the gentlest pressure. The result is immaculate.
Soon it’s our go and it’s huge fun. I’m
pretty impressed with my first effort – I’ve listened
well and my tight tuck has delivered a well-formed
roll. My glory is short-lived and my inside-out
‘roll’ is more of a flop. Luckily, those bamboohandled
knives cleave delicate millefiori slices, all of
which are entirely delicious and full of interesting
textures and complex Japanesey flavours. And what
of those condiments? Whilst they might be difficult
to pronounce, it turns out they are incredibly simple
to use and decidedly delicious when you know how.
Big Life Organics run frequent courses.
Lizzie Lower
Join their open day - and free miso soup demonstration
- on June 14. biglifeorganics.co.uk, 01444
628667, 112 South Road, Haywards Heath
73