Chocolate Sushi

[gfron1]

I'm in practice mode for an upcoming chocolate competition (which I won last year with chestnut mousse). This year I am making a variety of chocolate sushi rolls. The one piece that I haven't quite perfected is the rice.

I am planning to make a coconut milk based rice, and I'm going to try three flavors - plain, chocolate (using Neilsen Massey choc extract) and green tea. My concern is texture - it needs to hold together but not be too ricey if you know what I mean. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

Edited January 16, 2006 by gfron1 (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

I am assuming that you have seen this website which uses a crumbled rice cookie to resemble the rice in their items of candy sushi.

another chocolate sushi variation here

[Daniel]

How about a coconut sticky rice square dipped in chocolate.. Or maybe a rice crispy square? Maybe not.. A caramel "nori" wrap.. Or a liquorice. Tapioca fish eggs.. Maybe something with white chocolate for the rice.. Or maybe like an oyster or scallop shell made of chocolate.. Chocolate hand roll..

Edited January 16, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[xdrixn]

how about steeping cocoa nibs in your water?

[chow guy]

When I make fruit sushi, I roll the completed (sweetened, filled rice rolls) in very good coco powder or with toasted coconut or toasted almonds.

[Hector]

Use sticky rice.. the stuff that you get steamed in Dim Sum, and in your Moshi balls.. It will definitly stick then.. a bit more desserty than ussual rice to.

[gfron1]

All of these are super ideas. I have 7 rolls under development -

My Italian themed, a sturdy 85% chocolate nori filled with marzipan and layered with cocoa, then rolled in crushed amaretti cookies.

My inside out, a sturdy sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and finished with sweetened condensed milk, a layer of crushed pistachios, then all of it rolled in toasted coconut.

Chocolate Ecstasy roll, 85% wrap filled with Julia Childs' chocolate Marqui, Fran Bigelow's white chocolate coconut bar filling, and dusted with cocoa (for swirling effect), rolled in cacao nibs.

just an idea of where I'm heading. The rice and the chocolate nori will be key here...my other rolls include candied ginger, dried mango, etc. And my biggest fear is being able to cut them and keep them beautiful. The presentation will be finished with chocolate breadsticks (chopsticks), spun sugar bouquets, marzipan wasabi, and chocolate miso - a recipe I've been playing with for months.

[JeanneCake]

does it have to be rice? Can you find/make some white chocolate "jimmies" (aka sprinkles) and mix it with just barely firm or just barely enough white choc ganache to resemble rice?

I did a dessert fruit sushi for a benefit last year, and used colored soy mamenori - when they're wet, they're a pain to work with but the colors are bright. (I spread the coconut rice on the sheets, and sprinkled dice fruit on it then rolled it. Where the fruit met the soy wrapper they disintegrated.)

Edited to add:

I used choc quills for chopsticks (AUI has colored ones now); and lime curd for wasabi

Edited January 17, 2006 by JeanneCake (log)

[CanadianBakin']

Can you please post pictures when you're done?

[jsolomon]

What about a sodium alginate "rice", a la Ferran Adria?

[gfron1]

For anyone waiting to hear about the results...

I started tinkering last night with rice. I did sushi rice cooked in coconut milk/water mixture and halfway through I added sweetened condensed milk. The taste was good but the texture was more like a rice pudding.

Tonight I'm going to make regular sushi rice as directed but then add the sweetened condensed milk at the end as if I were adding my mirin/sugar mixture for sushi.

Also, I met a French chocolatier who gave me some chocolate ideas for my "nori". Pictures will be coming (unless they explode on me).

[gfron1]

In case anyone is living vicariously through my posts...here is the result of tonight's experiment.

Last night was too gloppy. So, tonight I rinsed the rice to remove some gluten. Then I cooked it as a regular sushi rice (2:1) in water. When it was absorbed, I removed from the heat and added corn syrup. Not quite sweet enough, so I added sweetened condensed milk and a dash of chocolate extract. Flavor was OK but still gloppy. Not as gloppy as last night but still not similar enough to the sushi experience to work.

Tomorrow night (boy am I going to be sick of sweet sushi rice) - cook it in sugar water and finish with chocolate extract.

[jkonick]

Are you just using regular sushi rice? Maybe try mixing in some sweet rice (mochigome) to make it stickier, or like you mentioned you were going to try, cook the rice in the sweet liquid so you don't have to add any extra liquid. Or maybe add in some gelatin or, if you want to stay on the Asian tip, add some kanten (agar), to firm up the pudding-like mixture.

[Rachel Perlow]

The rice and the chocolate nori will be key here...my other rolls include candied ginger, dried mango, etc.  And my biggest fear is being able to cut them and keep them beautiful.

←

I wouldn't use large pieces of the candied ginger or dried mango. In fact, I wouldn't use dried mango, but fresh. If it has to sit, how about glaceed? Something to moisten it so it will cut cleanly. Of course, just cutting them into small dice might work too.

[origamicrane]

a rice crispy block dipped in white chocolate? as the rice base?

have a rice crispy base of rice,

use thin sheets of chocolate to be the nori-seaweed wrap

use some strawberry jam mixed in with some sago pearl to make it look like salmon eggs.

[sazji]

The way I always cooked sticky rice was to soak it in water overnight, then steam it in a bamboo steamer over boiling water. It won't be soggy that way. It will be chewy though.

[gfron1]

The way I always cooked sticky rice was to soak it in water overnight, then steam it in a bamboo steamer over boiling water.  It won't be soggy that way. It will be chewy though.

←

Thanks to the advice on this board, this is what I have done. I'm also going to add white chocolate in tonight's test run for sweeteness. This is my last trial run. I have to make 200 pieces Friday night. I will post pics...

[gfron1]

Steamed sweet rice finished with white chocolate was a success! Now I'm going to work on variations - green tea white chocolate, using chocolate extract in the steaming water...

[chow guy]

In case anyone is living vicariously through my posts...here is the result of tonight's experiment.

Last night was too gloppy.  So, tonight I rinsed the rice to remove some gluten.  Then I cooked it as a regular sushi rice (2:1) in water.  When it was absorbed, I removed from the heat and added corn syrup.  Not quite sweet enough, so I added sweetened condensed milk and a dash of chocolate extract.  Flavor was OK but still gloppy.  Not as gloppy as last night but still not similar enough to the sushi experience to work.

Tomorrow night (boy am I going to be sick of sweet sushi rice) - cook it in sugar water and finish with chocolate extract.

←

It's tricky and burns easily, but, I've cooked the rice in sweetenened coconut milk or fresh tropical juices like gaunamana, mamey, gauva etc. You just have to watch it like a hawk. I've also added the juice right after cooking the rice in water. If you're careful (and lucky) the rice will absorb the juice very nicely.

I would stay away from candied ginger or dried fruit. It will be difficult to slice. Fresh mango is so much better anyway. I also partially freeze the rolls and then slice (in a gentle sawing action) with a serated knife.

I'll try to figure out how to post a picture and post a shot of some of my rolls.

[chow guy]

I'm in practice mode for an upcoming chocolate competition (which I won last year with chestnut mousse).  This year I am making a variety of chocolate sushi rolls.  The one piece that I haven't quite perfected is the rice. 

I am planning to make a coconut milk based rice, and I'm going to try three flavors - plain, chocolate  (using Neilsen Massey choc extract) and green tea.  My concern is texture - it needs to hold together but not be too ricey if you know what I mean.  Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

←

Rob,

I just noticed you live in Silver City. I'm in Albuquerque. I've been out of town and out of touch....When is the competition? Is it still at the Museum? I live within walking distance but have not been in several years. If tickets haven't skyrocketed maybe we'll show up this year. Good Luck!

[gfron1]

I would stay away from candied ginger or dried fruit.  It will be difficult to slice. Fresh mango is so much better anyway. I also partially freeze the rolls and then slice (in a gentle sawing action) with a serated knife.

←

I've thought about that so I'm going to pulverize the candied ginger and then reform, so it should cut cleanly. Thanks.

[chow guy]

I often garnish the "sushi" plate with very thinly sliced candied ginger and white chocolate (dyed dark green) and made to look like leaves or those jagged edged plastic garnishes you often see at low end sushi places.

[tug]

my husband bought me one of the boxes from kookisushi.com

i'd love to see some pictures of anyone's attempt to make these at home. i just cant bring myself to eating this

[Hector]

my husband bought me one of the boxes from kookisushi.com

i'd love to see some pictures of anyone's attempt to make these at home.  i just cant bring myself to eating this

←

Wow! that's incredible! Lots of work must be put into this. You must have a good husband.

Edited February 17, 2006 by Hector (log)

[gfron1]

I am rested after the chocolate madness. You can go to this url to see the results:

ChocolateSushi

I did seven different chocolates:

Chocolate Dillusion Maki: Double layered 70% chocolate nori filled with chocolate marquis and cacao nibs, rolled in gold leaf

Grande Isle Maki: 70% chocolate nori filled with white chocolate rice, candied ginger twigs, and rolled in toasted coconut

Milanese Maki: 70% chocolate nori filled with white chocolate rice (boosted with chocolate extract), marzipan (colored pink), and crushed amaretti cookies, rolled in amaretti powder

Rising Sun Maki: 70% chocolate nori filled with green tea infused white chocolate rice, paper-thin sliced kumquat, and white chocolate coconut cream, rolled in toasted macadamia nuts

The Glutten Nigiri: White chocolate rice (boosted by chocolate extract), topped with

85% chocolate ganache and gold leaf

The Goddess Nigiri: White chocolate coconut rice topped in 70% ganache, dipped in ganache and rolled in pistachios

The Gift Nigiri: Green tea white chocolate rice topped in ganache and tied with a spun sugar ribbon

Key details:

I used transfer paper for the nori to apply an design and sheen. The nori was made with 70% El Rey chocolate, inverted sugar, butter and sunflower oil (to make them non-tacky) for a great flexible yet cutable material. Marzipan was used to make ginger and wasabi. I also had a coffee syrup dipping sauce that I sent to the judges.

The rice was the biggest challenge. In the end I used sweet rice and made sure it was well cooked. To add the rice, coconut, etc I layered the rice with the additive in the steamer.

~Fin~