Rolling sushi at home takes some practice, so following these steps will guide you at first, but you’ll soon be doing it without a second thought.

Step 1: Firstly, get everything ready. Prepare all your ingredients, including slicing your fillings and making a batch of sushi rice. Use sushi-grade raw fish, but if you’re unsure about using raw fish, use vegetables or cooked prawns and flaked fish instead. Then you’re ready to spread out your bamboo rolling mat; you can put a piece of clingfilm across the mat to keep the mat clean, if you wish.

Step 2: Take your sheet of dried seaweed (nori) and lay it with the rough side facing up.

Step 3: Spread the sushi rice over the sheet of nori with damp hands, making sure to leave space at the top and bottom of the sheet.

Step 4: In the centre of the sheet of nori, around halfway between the top and bottom of the sheet, place your chosen ingredients.

Step 5: Put your thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge that is closest to you up, folding it over the filling in the middle. To stick the filling and the rice together (so that the final result isn’t too loose), place your fingers over the curve of the bamboo mat and gently press along the length of the rolled log shape.

Step 6: Fold it underneath your hands by pulling the edge of the bamboo mat towards you, continuing to roll the sushi away from you until you’ve rolled past the far edge of the seaweed sheet.

Top tips

• Make sure the knife you use to cut the sushi is sharp for clean cuts.
• Wipe the sharp knife with a wet cloth in between each cut – to stop the rice from sticking.
• Remember that ‘failed’ sushi rolls might look a little messy, but they’ll still taste good!
• Rolling sushi at home is great for using up leftovers. Leftover cooked vegetables work particularly well.
• Rice should be fresh so it’s not dried out (it would not stick otherwise).
• Get creative with flavours – try adding sesame seeds or kimchi.

Which kitchen utensils are indispensable?

A bamboo sushi rolling mat is vital to create the sushi shape. It’s hard to achieve the oblong shape without the use of the mat. The bamboo material is also ideal bamboo for durability and ease of use. The non-stick surface prevents it from sticking to the sushi or your worktop.