Recipe of the week: Henry Firth and Ian Theasby’s Sushi Cupcakes

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Not as strange as they sound, we promise. Get creative with different fillings such as wasabi and ginger.

Ingredients (makes 12)

400g sushi rice

30ml rice vinegar

25g caster sugar

½ tsp salt

12 nori sheets

6 tsp hoisin sauce

Black sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Pickled ginger, to serve

Soy sauce, to serve

Wasabi, to serve (optional)

For the vegetable toppings:

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

¼ cucumber, cut into matchsticks

1 small avocado, sliced

10 fresh chives, chopped

5 radishes, trimmed and sliced

For the dipping sauce:

Sriracha

Egg-free mayonnaise

Method

1: Cook the sushi rice following the packet instructions, ensuring that it is dry and sticky when cooked.

2: Put a saucepan on a medium heat. Pour in the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, then pour over the cooked rice, gently stirring until all the liquid is absorbed. Spread the rice over the greased baking tray and let cool to room temperature, when it should be dry but sticky.

3: Stack the nori sheets and lay a saucer on top. Cut around it to make nori circles. Find the centre of the nori stack and cut a neat, straight slit from the centre to the outer edges. Take one circle and fashion a cone that is roughly 8cm wide at the base. Wet your finger and lightly brush along the slit to stick it in place. Put the cone in one of the muffin holes in a muffin tin. Repeat to fill all muffin holes.

4: Wet your hands and roll a golf ball-sized ball of rice. Poke a hole in the centre and pour in half a teaspoon of hoisin sauce. Pack more rice over the hole to seal in the sauce. Smooth the outside and place in one of the nori muffin cases. Repeat to fill all the cases.

5: Get your toppings ready and make a quick dipping sauce by stirring sriracha into the egg-free mayonnaise to taste. Finely chop the pickled ginger. Decorate your sushi cupcakes with the prepared vegetables and sprinkle them with black sesame seeds. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger and dipping sauce on the side.

• Recipe courtesy of Bish Bash Bosh! by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, priced £20.

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