Gimbap

By: Keita Dimitrov

Ingredients

10 cups Rice
2 cans Spam
7 large Carrots
2 small Cos Lettuces
7 large Eggs
20ml of Milk or Water
1 packet of sliced Cheese
1 whole pickled Radish
2 packets Obento Yaki Nori
10 tablespoons Obento Sushi Seasoning
5 tablespoon Castor Sugar
5 tablespoon Sesame Oil
Seasame Oil (for seasoning)
Rosted Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Method

Prepare Rice by wash 3 times in water before placing in rice cooker. Cook according to your rice cooker instructions.
Prepare Spam by preheating oven to 150 degress. Then remove Spam from cans and rinse in water to remove excess oils and fats. Pat dry using paper towel. Set up baking tray lined with baking paper.Cut Spam into large, even matchsticks of 2x2 cm. Arrange on to baking paper, spaced out and transfer into oven. Set timer for 15-20 minutes or until edges are crispy and spam is starting to brown.Once cooked set aside.
Prepare Carrots by peeling off skin using peeler. Then slice into long diagonal slices, cutting on a rouch 25 degree angle and about 1/2 a cm width.Once all Carrots are sliced, flat out and begin to cut into thin match sitcks. Once all Carrots are cut into thin match sticks, add a light seaoning of sesame oil and toss. Prepare a oven tray line with baking paper and arrange Carrots, spaced across the tray ensure there is no bunching. If separate cokks are required, do so. Transfer to oven and set timer for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are slightly softened.The Carrots will start to shrink if left in the oven for too long.Once cooked set aside.
Prepare Cos Lettuce by rinsing under the tap 3 times, ensuring to tap gently but firmly against your palm ensuring any unwanted soil or parts from the centre a cleaned out.Once drained of excess water, grab letuce into a bunch and slice into thin slices across the leaves. This should resemble thicker spaghetti. Then set aside.
Prepare 7 Eggs by cracking into a large bowl and whisking in 20-30ml of Milk or Water. Add salt to taste.Prepare a oven tray 25 cm in width and lined with baking paper and pour egg mixture on to oven tray.Transfer to oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until egg is light and fluffy.Once cooked, remove from oven and flip onto chopping board.once slight cooled, slice egg into 2 cm thick strips.Set aside once all egg is sliced.
Prepare 20 slices of sliced Cheese by indenting a line down the middle for easy division during assembly of Gimbap.Do not remove outside film of individual slices as these will be removed during assembling of Gimbap and set aside.
Prepare pickled Radish by cutting into 1x1 cm sticks, they should resemble thin chopsticks. Set aside once whole radish has been cut up.
Once rice is finished cooking remove 5 cups of cooked rice at a time, transferring into a large bowl. Season rice with 2.5 tables spoons of Obento Sushi Seasoning, 1 tablespoon of Castor Sugar and 1 table spon of Sesame Oil. Mix until evenly combined.
Prepare Gimbap rolling station setting out a bambo sushi roller and 1 packet of Obento Yaki Nori next to each. The arrange all filling ingredients (Rice, Spam, Carrots, Cos Lettuce, Eggs, Cheese and Radish) above the bamboo roller and Yaki Nori. Finally filled a small cup of water and place to the side to dip your fingers in during rolling.
Now you are ready to start rolling. Pull on food preparation gloves and arrange a Yaki Nori/Gim/Seaweed sheet ontop of the bamboo roller.place on scoop of rice onto the Yaki Nori/Gim/Seaweed sheet, before using your glove fingers to evenly spread the rice across the Yaki Nori sheet. You want the rice to cover roughly 2/3's of the sheet leaving around 5 cm at the base and 5 cm at the top without rice. The thickness of the rice should be slightly sparse, however if there are large gaps in the spreading of the rice be sure to add a pinch of rice to even it out.
Following the layer of rice, start to layer the fillings in the centre of the rice using, 2 sticks of Spam, half a handful of Carrot sticks, half a handful of Cos lettuce, 2 slices of Egg, 1 slice of Cheese halved and folded and 1-2 sticks of pickled Radish. Arrange the fillings, ensuring the an even spread of each ingredient is along the roll. You want each section once cut to hold a piece of each ingredient.Finally, grip the Yaki Nori and start roll the ingredients, tucking them inside the roll as you move the roll away from you.Before roll to the end, firmly hold the roll with one hand and dip the fingers of your other hand into the small cup of water and lightly wet the edge of the Yaki Nori. Finish the roll by rolling it tight onto itself and give it a few light squeezes.Remove from bamboo roller and set aside.
Continue steps 8-11 until all rice and ingredients are used up.
Once all Gimbap is rolled, lightly season by brushing over with Seasame Oil and sprinkling Roasted Sesame seeds.
You can enjoy as a large roll or cut into thinner pieces, roughly 7 cm width.
Serve with a side dish of kimchi, if desired.

Product used in recipe

Obento - Yaki Nori For Sushi