FUTOMAKI SUSHI ROLL

PREPARING THE VEGETABLES. Add the dashi, sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, kampyō, shiitake, and gobo to a 2 liter pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a strong simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. At this point add the carrot and continue to cook until the carrot is just cooked through. This will take about 5 more minutes. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove them from the pot and drain them on a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside.

BLANCHING THE SPINACH. While the vegetables cook, combine the water and salt in a separate pot and bring it to a boil. Trim the root end off of the spinach and rinse under running water to remove any residual soil. Add the cleaned spinach to the boiling salted water and cook for 1 minute. Remove the spinach and add it to a bowl of ice water to cool it down rapidly. Remove it from the ice water once it has cooled, and drain on a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside.

SEASONING THE RICE. Make the seasoning for the rice by adding the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a small pot and bringing it to a boil. Boil it just until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Add the rice to a cedar rice bucket (ohitsu) if you have one. The wood absorbs excess moisture from the rice as you mix it, as well as adding a faint aroma from the wood. If you don't have one, just use whatever bowl you have on hand. Use a plastic spatula or rice paddle (shamoji) to gently fold in the seasoned sushi vinegar, turning the bowl as you do this to ensure that everything is evenly mixed. Set it aside.

ASSEMBLING THE FUTOMAKI. Lay out a sushi rolling mat, parchment paper, or plastic wrap to build the roll on. Start by arranging 1.5 sheets of roasted nori onto whatever you have selected. Wet the tip of your finger with a little water and run your finger along the top edge of the full sheet, then overlap the half sheet onto the full sheet by about 1/3" and press down lightly to stick them together. Next use the spatula (shamoji) to spread the seasoned rice evenly over the nori, leaving a 1/2" border at the very top (the edge farthest away from you). Make five evenly spaced lines crosswise in the rice: these lines are where you are going to arrange the vegetables. Arrange one vegetable per line, starting with the line closest to you: spinach, burdock root, carrot, shiitake, and kampyō. Use your hands to fold the edge closest to you towards the top of the roll, until it is aligned with the edge of the rice. Move the roll to the center of your rolling mat, and fold the mat over top of the roll, then gently squeeze the mat and pull it towards you to tighten up the roll. If you are using a bamboo sushi mat, I like to hold it from both sides like a hammock and alternately pull from side to side to help even out the shape of the roll. If you are using plastic wrap or parchment, you can achieve the same by using your hands to push the roll forward and backward on your cutting board. The roll can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator at this point for up to 24 hours.

HOW TO SERVE. When you are ready to serve the maki, unwrap it and place it onto a clean cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll in half, then slice each half into four 1" thick pieces. Divide the pieces equally onto serving dishes, and enjoy as is or with a small dab of wasabi. The rice and vegetables are well seasoned, so I recommend eating the roll without soy sauce so that you can enjoy the flavors as they are.