Wash rice in cold water and lea veto stand for 1/2 hour. Place rice in saucepan with 17 fl oz (500 ml) water and a pinch of salt and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, reduce heat further for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Mix sake, sugarand vinegar in bowl, add rice and stir with a wooden spatula.

Place a sheet of nori on bamboo mat and smooth 9 tbsps (135 ml) rice over, wetting fingers in water to stop rice sticking. Press rice right to bottom edge of nori, but leave 2 inches (5 cm) at top.

Use the bamboo mat to form sushi roll, neaten edges with a damp cloth. Make up two more rolls, allow to cool. Use immediately

or wrap in cling film and keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

to serve

Dampen a sharp knife and cut each roll in half. Keeping the knife damp cut both halves in half again and then again to make eight pieces per roll.

The Toppings

Halibut and mock caviar

Wash and skin 4 oz (125 g) fresh fillet of halibut and cut into very thin strips. Cut strips into 2 inch (5 cm) lengths and mix with 1 tbsp red lumpfish roe. Arrange a tsp of mixture on each sushi piece.

Smoked salmon.

Roll up 1/2 inch (1 cm) strips of smoked salmon and place on sushi, decorate with lemon.

Herring. Cut 2 or 3 herring fillets into thin strips, place a strip on each sushi. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Cockles. Place a tsp of cockles on each piece of sushi. Garnish with flat leaf parsley.

Omelette. Beat 2 eggs with 1 tsp sake and a pinch of salt. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan, cook omelette, rolling it up in the pan when it has set. Cool and cut into 1/4 inch (5 mm) slices and place on sushi. Decorate with a dampened strip of nori, or flat leaf parsley.