Sweet sushi with mixed jams

To prepare sweet sushi with mixed jams, start with the fake strawberry seaweed: wash the strawberries under plenty of fresh running water, remove the green stems 1, and cut them into coarse cubes 2. Place the strawberries in a saucepan with the orange marmalade 3,

add the sugar 4 and lemon juice 5; cook everything until it reaches a temperature of 226°F, measuring with a kitchen thermometer and stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and blend the mixture with an immersion blender 6, then

strain everything through a fine-mesh sieve to obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture 7. Place an acetate sheet (alternatively, you can use a silicone mat or parchment paper) on the bottom of an overturned baking tray 8 and spread the strawberry-based mixture you prepared 9 with a spatula.

Form a rectangle measuring approximately 6x10 inches and 1/16 inch thick 10 and let it dry in a preheated static oven at 140°F for about 3 hours. In the meantime, prepare the vanilla rice pudding: slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a small knife. Wash the rice under plenty of running water 11, then place a saucepan on the stove with the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds, and the pod 12 and bring to a boil.

When the milk reaches a boil, remove the vanilla pod with kitchen tongs, drain the rice well, and add it to the saucepan 13. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes until the milk is completely absorbed by the rice: at the end of preparation, the rice pudding should have a rather creamy consistency. Once ready, let it cool completely in a bowl at room temperature 14 and set aside. Then prepare the maki filling: sieve the orange marmalade and berry jam with a fine-mesh sieve 15.

Pour them into two separate small saucepans and add 0.035 oz of agar-agar to each 16, then use a kitchen spatula to stir until the agar-agar is completely dissolved. Turn on the low heat until it reaches a boil 17. After a few minutes, pour the jam and marmalade into two molds lined with parchment paper measuring 3x2x1.5 inches 18: let them cool at room temperature and then place them in the refrigerator to set.

After the necessary time has passed, take the fake strawberry seaweed and trim the edges with a small knife 19; gently detach it from the acetate sheet by lifting the edges 20 and place it on a sheet of cling film (you can also use parchment paper) 21.

Now you can assemble your sweet sushi: to recreate the maki, transfer the fake seaweed with the cling film onto a bamboo mat (if you don't have the mat, the cling film alone will suffice) and spread the now cold rice pudding on the strawberry sheet with a spoon, leaving a 3/4 inch border at the top 22: always remember to wet your hands before preparing the sushi to make it easier to handle the rice and prevent it from sticking. Remove the now cold jam and marmalade from the molds 23 and cut them into small strips with a knife 24.

Press the rice pudding with your fingers to create a small groove where you can place the strips of jam and marmalade that you cut side by side, 1 1/4 inches from the edge 25. Using the cling film 26, roll the bamboo mat to close the roll on itself 27, applying light pressure with your fingers on the long sides to achieve a square shape (if using parchment paper, the maki will have a rounded shape).

Unroll the bamboo mat and you will have obtained the maki roll 28; gently remove the cling film and place the roll with the seam side down on a cutting board. Finally, cut it with a sharp knife into 3/4 inch thick pieces 29 and plate 30: your sweet sushi with mixed jams is ready to be served and enjoyed!