Rice

• 5 cups sushi rice or Japanese short-grain white rice (japonica)

Dashi Broth

• 5 cups cold water
• 2" strip of kombu seaweed

Sushi Vinegar

• scant - just barely reaching 1 cup - rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp + 1 tsp salt
• 1" piece of kombu

Equipment

• fine-mesh strainer
• rice cooker
• wooden sushi rice bowl & paddle

Make Dashi Broth

1. Add cold water and kombu to a medium-sized pot
2. Bring just to a boil, remove kombu and let dashi broth cool to room temperature

Rinse & Cook Rice

1. Wash rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool running water 3-4 times until the water runs clear, then drain the water
2. Add rice to the bowl of a rice cooker
3. Add kombu dashi broth, and choose the "sushi rice/regular" setting (may vary according to rice cooker)
4. Once the rice is finished, leave in rice cooker to warm

Make Sushi Vinegar

1. in a small saucepan, combine Sushi Vinegar ingredients
2. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat

Season, Paddle & Cool

1. Wet your wooden sushi rice bowl and paddle to prevent the rice from sticking
2. Remove the bowl of rice from the rice cooker and invert into the center of your sushi  rice bowl
3. Break up rice with wooden spoon, and begin to pour the hot rice seasoning over the spoon to disperse it evenly over the rice
4. Toss the rice to coat it evenly with the seasoning, using a sideways swiping motion with the wooden paddle
5. Spread the rice into an even layer in the bowl, and let it sit 5 minutes
6. Transfer rice to a container or bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then use immediately