Sesame Sushi Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp sesame seeds, white and black
• 4 oz (115 g) medium shrimp
• 2 sheets of nori, halved
• 1 quantity sushi rice
• ½ tsp wasabi paste
• ½ cucumber, seeded and cut into julienne strips
• 6 tbsp shoyu (Japanese soy sauce), to serve

1. Toast the seeds in a dry saucepan over low heat for 3 minutes, until nutty and golden. Set aside to cool. Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Have a small bowl of water ready for moistening your fingers.
2. Cut one sheet of plastic wrap just larger than half of a nori sheet. Place half of a nori, smooth side down, on a sushi mat or a square of heavy-duty foil. Moisten your fingers with water, then spread a quarter of the rice in an even layer on the nori. Cover with the plastic wrap.
3. Pick up the nori, carefully turn it over, and place on the mat, plastic wrap side down. The nori should now be facing up. Spread a thin line of wasabi lengthwise along the center of the nori with your fingers.
4. Arrange a quarter of the shrimp, cucumber, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds on top, making sure the fillings extend completely to each end. Pick up the mat and plastic wrap and tightly roll rice around the filling, pressing down firmly as you roll. Unroll the mat and plastic wrap.
5. Gently roll the rice roll in half of the remaining sesame seeds. Roll up tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends to secure. Repeat with the remaining nori, rice, wasabi, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seeds.
6. Trim the ends of each roll, then cut each rice roll into six equal-size pieces with a moist knife. Remove plastic wrap from the cut pieces. Serve at room temperature with shoyu for dipping.