After a two-hour beginners course taught by Kelly Jo Viall of Birmingham Sushi Classes, students at Stone’s Throw Brewing in Little Rock learn how to make — and then eat — a basic sushi roll. ( John Sykes Jr.

Kelly Jo Viall has given "sushi bar" a whole new meaning.

Photo by John Sykes Jr.

Kelly Jo Viall of Birmingham Sushi Classes teaches students about sauces, including spicy sriracha.

Photo by John Sykes Jr.

Students watch from the bar of Stone’s Throw Brewing while they try their hands at sushi making.

Photo by John Sykes Jr.

Using a sharp knife dipped in water, Kelly Jo Viall demonstrates how to properly cut a sushi roll.

Photo by John Sykes Jr.

Students spread sushi rice over sheets of nori as a first step in making California Rolls, as instructed by Kelly Jo Viall.

While grains like barley and wheat normally get the spotlight at Stone's Throw Brewing in downtown Little Rock, rice is the star this Monday night as Viall shows foodies how to make sushi.

This is the second time that Viall -- the Alabama-based entrepreneur behind Birmingham Sushi Classes, who travels to Southern taprooms teaching two-hour beginner courses -- has used this brewery as her lecture hall and laboratory.

Ian Beard, co-owner of Stone's Throw (which recently celebrated its third anniversary), says, "We like being a community gathering place, so these sushi classes are a perfect fit for that." Not to mention the class is a good way to keep the pints pouring on a night the business is usually closed. Beard offers to bring beers such as Amarillo Warrior Imperial IPA or Papa Geyer's Imperial Pilsner (or -- for beer wusses like this reporter -- Queen Ruby hard apple cider) to anyone wishing to remain seated during class: "We don't want you to go thirsty!"

As the 24 students chew on the stylistically sauced cream-cheese-and-crab rolls Viall has prepared for them as a starter, she asks how they'd rate their previous sushi-making attempts on the scale of one to 10.

"About a five," says one.

"Five," agrees another.

"Negative four!" admits the reporter, wailing, "It was the rice. It's so hard!"

Laid-back with a dry wit, Viall, who has taught more than 4,000 students in four years, remains unruffled. She promises the reporter that by the end of the class, which will cover shopping and cooking techniques and include a hands-on sushi-making tutorial, "I'll get you up to an eight."

She goes a step further, assuring the class, "I guarantee that tomorrow you can invite your friends over for sushi."

SUSHI SUPPLIES

In order to make sushi, some basics are required. Among them: a bamboo sushi mat for rolling, a long-handled paddle or spatula for rice "cutting" (those short paddles that come in kits don't quite cut it when it comes to "cutting" rice, as Viall calls it) and, of course, food. (Rice gets its very own section, see below.)

"Buy your initial stock of supplies from the Asian grocery," Viall says via the comprehensive cheat sheet she emails students following class. "It's typically less expensive, but the main reason we go there is because they have every single item you'll need to make sushi. Your everyday grocery has a pretty good selection, but they do not have everything you need. Grab your supplies at the Asian grocery, but when you run out of certain things, you'll be able to buy a replacement at your local [grocery]."

Some things to seek out: nori (roasted seaweed sheets), wasabi (though, Viall says, what is typically sold as wasabi in the United States is not the actual pungent Japanese plant, but rather green-colored horseradish), pickled ginger (for palate cleansing), sesame seeds, various sauces and seasonings and fish. Not that sushi has to include raw fish or any fish for that matter. Novices often confuse sushi -- vinegar-seasoned rice that often includes raw or cooked fish -- with sashimi or raw fish.

Viall does some lingo decoding: "If I say 'sushi-grade ahi,' that sounds good. If I say 'frozen tuna,' that doesn't sound so sexy. Sushi-grade is a marketing term that means the fish has been frozen. It just sounds better than saying 'frozen fish.'" Still, using sushi-grade or frozen raw fish is paramount, as it protects diners from parasites.

To save money, she recommends buying tuna at Asian markets and salmon at wholesale clubs.

As for sauces, Viall recommends stocking soy sauce, mayonnaise and sriracha (see Spicy Mayo recipe below, rather than buying a separate bottle of the condiment), sweet Thai chile sauce such as Mae Ploy (hint: spicy mayo plus sweet Thai chile sauce equals Bang Bang sauce, served at Asian restaurants) and eel sauce (which is not made of eels, but rather soy sauce and sugar).

GOING WITH THE GRAIN

The most important step in sushi making is the rice, Viall says. It's also the most intricate: "That's where the drama lies."

For foolproof rice, two things are needed: sushi rice (sold in grocery stores by the soy sauce and Asian foods -- not near the Uncle Ben's) and a rice cooker.

"The reason we want a rice cooker is because every sushi chef in the world makes rice in a rice cooker; nobody makes rice on the stove," she says adding that cookers, even inexpensive ones, provide consistency. Beyond cooking rice, the multitasking appliances can handle other kitchen jobs such as steaming vegetables and acting as a slow-cooker.

Viall stresses that rice should be washed prior to cooking to draw out the starch: "Sushi rice is already milled in a specific way that lends itself to making sticky rice, but if we wash it also, it makes it super sticky. Rice being sticky is important in rolling sushi ... because rice is what holds the rolls together ultimately."

As for how much rice one needs, Viall says 1/2 cup of rice makes one roll. One cup makes two rolls, which is a decent amount to plan per dinner guest. As for the amount of water, use one cup per cup of rice.

When rice is done, remove from cooker, add seasoned rice wine vinegar (it balances pH and inhibits bacteria growth) and carefully "cut" or break it apart with a paddle or spatula.

Sushi rice is ideal when it has cooled slightly to a lower temperature that is comfortable to the touch (rolling hot rice does not work, worse -- ouch! -- it burns). Viall encourages aspiring sushi chefs to only make what they think they'll use. Rice should be used within four hours, and refrigerating leftover rice dries it out. So that's why premade grocery store's spicy tuna rolls never measure up to the freshly made restaurant variety (not to mention the process softens the nori, making it gummy and chewy).

Viall handles the hard work, perfecting a pot of rice for the class. Then, after a beer break, it's time for students to don disposable gloves and assemble their own rolls of portioned fake crab, cucumber, rice and nori on mats hygienically swaddled in plastic zipper bags. Using a sharp knife dipped in water for smoother cuts, Viall slices the students' sushi rolls into eight segments and lets them spruce their creations with sauces.

On a scale of one to 10, the reporter's final product looks like a six (she could use some work on her plating and sauce-drizzling skills), and it tastes like a 10. That averages out to the eight Viall promised.

What follows are Viall's recipes for Sushi Rice, Spicy Mayo and a California Roll. However, we heartily recommend attending a class prior to attempting.

Viall will teach her next class (limited to 24 people) at Stone's Throw Brewing, 402 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, at 7 p.m. Aug. 29. The course costs $40 and includes all materials and food (beer is extra). For more information, visit birminghamsushiclasses.

Sushi Rice

2 cups sushi rice (Viall favors the Nishiki brand)

2 cups water, plus more for rinsing

2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

Place rice in a large bowl and cover with water. Agitate rice for 30 seconds. Drain starchy water from rice. Repeat process two more times.

Place washed, drained rice in rice cooker. Add 2 cups of water and cook until done according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer cooked rice to large bowl and drizzle with seasoned rice wine vinegar. Use a paddle or spatula to cut the rice apart and work vinegar throughout. Fan rice and flip to cool until it's a comfortable temperature to touch with fingers. Store in a covered bowl and use within 4 hours.

Makes 6 cups of rice (enough for 12 rolls).

Spicy Mayo

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 to 1/3 cup sriracha sauce

Optional ingredients: togarashi (a Japanese spice mixture), hot sesame oil, cayenne pepper or black pepper

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sriracha and any additional ingredients until well combined. Transfer to a squeeze bottle to add to sushi as desired. Keep refrigerated.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

California Roll

1/2 cup cooked, prepared sushi rice (recipe above)

1 half-sheet nori

Vegetable oil

1 imitation crab stick, torn in half lengthwise

2 to 3 julienned, de-seeded cucumber sticks

Spicy Mayo (recipe above), optional

Wrap a bamboo mat in plastic wrap or place it inside a gallon zipper bag. Line the nori horizontally along the bottom edge of mat. Rub a drop of oil between your hands before working with the rice to keep rice from sticking to fingers. Place sushi rice on nori and evenly distribute, taking care to keep the rice light and aerated. (Do not press the rice into the nori; it will stick, so there's no need to smash the rice.)

Flip over the rice-covered nori so the rice faces the bamboo mat and line it up along the bottom edge of the mat. Layer the crab and cucumber across the bottom quarter of the nori, ensuring that they are evenly distributed from left to right.

Place thumbs under mat and lift. Roll the rice-covered nori forward, covering the ingredients and keeping the nori tight around the crab and cucumber.

Cover sealed sushi roll with the bamboo mat and use fingers to tighten it up to keep ingredients secure when cut.

Dip sharp knife in water and carefully cut roll in half. Continue cutting in halves until there are 8 even pieces.

Place roll pieces on plate and drizzle Spicy Mayo over top.

Makes 1 roll.

Food on 08/10/2016