Makes around 20 pieces 250g/ 9oz sushi rice, rinsed and left to drain for 30 minutes 10-15 Parma Ham slices 1 avocado, sliced lengthways to 0.5cm thickness 5cm piece of cucumber, deseeded and sliced into 0.5cm thick slices 3 slices sushi ginger, finely sliced, plus extra to serve wasabi paste, to serve dark soy sauce, to serve Sushi rice dressing: 50ml/2 fl oz mirin (Japanese rice vinegar) 1tbsp caster sugar salt
• Place the rice in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid with 400ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to simmering point for 15 minutes, and then remove from the heat to steam for a further 15 minutes before transferring to a plastic bowl • Meanwhile, make the sushi rice dressing; place the mirin and sugar with a good pinch of salt into a heavy-based saucepan, and slowly dissolve over a low heat. Toss the cooked rice in the dressing to cool • Lay slices of Parma Ham across a sushi mat, allowing a 1-2cm overlap. Dampen your hands with a weak mix of water and mirin, and spread enough rice over the Parma Ham to give 1-2cm in thickness and to leave a 3cm strip of Parma Ham bare at the far side • Make a well across the width of the sushi rice to lay strips of avocado and cucumber. Take the near side of the sushi mat and start to roll away from you. Tuck the Parma Ham in and continue to roll the bare Parma Ham around the sushi roll • Remove from the mat and use a damp sharp knife to cut rolls of sushi to 2-3cm thick. Repeat to make another sushi roll with the remaining Parma Ham and sushi rice • Serve the Parma Ham sushi bites with soy sauce, wasabi paste and sushi ginger strips Cook’s Tip: If you are a fan of ginger, why not add a little to the sushi bites along with the avocado and cucumber. Experiment with different fillings for your Parma Ham sushi. Halkidiki olives or grated courgette make a delicious alternative! Recipe courtesy of the Parma Ham Consortium