Sushi roll making @ Sake

Thanks to ING Direct and their current Spend Your Lunch Well campaign I was lucky enough to grab a spot at a sushi roll making class at Sake in The Rocks.  I arrived early and was seated upstairs where ING had placed a big bowl of rock candy in their signature colour orange, along with some other marketing material.  We were given a lovely orange apron to wear.

 

I will admit that I was a little starstruck when Shaun Presland arrived to give the demonstration.  I get a bit giddy around big named celebrity chefs.  I can't help it!  There were approxmiately 40 people in the class and as we all took our places around the two long tables we were in awe at the platter of sushi pre-prepared for ease.

Before the class I managed to say hi and have a quick snap with him (lucky because he had to get back into the kitchen before we actually finished up) before we started getting our hands dirty.  Now I say that tongue in cheek because of a certain incident which will be mentioned shortly.  We were asked to santise our hands prior to starting.

Shaun preceded to show us how to make a hand roll and an inside out roll.  You can see his passion for sushi shine through his demo.

 

He just looks so happy to be doing this (and makes it look so easy!)!

 

Now it's our turn!

 

Our ingredients are all prepared and ready for our quick 45minute class. I pile a selection of ingredients which includes rice, tuna, cucumber, sesame seeds and roe onto my nori sheet and then forget how to roll it properly so I ask Shaun, who is wandering around helping out to show me how.  He grabs my roll and proceeds to show me.  Now remember I'm a little starstruck so not thinking clear....I ask him if he has washed his hands! Seriously!  I was joking, but when he answered 'of course I have' I realised then that I don't think he took it as a joke even after I told him it was.  I wanted to hang my head in my hands and then slap myself! LOL  I am such a muppet!  Oh well continue making rolls.

 

 

 

 

I was on a roll (no pun intended) now and tried my hand at an inside out roll.  Not as easy as a handroll.  This time trying to layer the rice (approx 3 grains deep) across a sheet of nori paper with the rice sticking to everything was comical.

I layered this roll with salmon and kingfish(?), avocado,  cucumber, sesame and spicy tuna paste and panko crumbs.  Not to shabby!

 

As a few people had made a roll and then left we had some extra ingredients and continued to make rolls.  In the end I had 2 hand rolls, two inside out rolls and a normal roll.  Above is about half of what I made. 

I'm pretty happy with my sushi rolls

Some more before heading off back to the office

 

A doggy bag was brought back to the office and will be dinner tonight.

 

Definitely a great way to get out of the office and spend some time learning something new and even better eating something that you have made!

 

Great concept INGdirect and thanks Sake for hosting this great event!

 

I also send my apologises if I offended you Shaun.  It really was said in jest!