Cooking sushi is easy

Japan, which is washed by seas, is noted for its enormous consumption of fish. Almost all seafood there is considered edible, prepared in every way possible: boiled, fried, dried, baked, salted, and served fresh, that is, raw. The last method is the most popular. Fresh seafood is served in two ways. Thinly sliced, garnished, and arranged on a platter are sashimi, and they often serve as the first, appetizer dish of the Japanese. More popular, however, is the second method, where seafood is rolled in rice balls, and such a dish replaces an entire meal. That’s sushi.

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This was not always the case, and the original dish could hardly whet one’s appetite. In the past, what we now know as sushi was simply preserving fish. For storage, the gutted carcasses were tightly wrapped in rice. It’s the combination that gave birth to modern sushi. After centuries cooked according to all rules of the sushi became a dish of fish and rice, which were stacked in layers in vats under the oppression.

The result is a kind of pie that is cut into pieces. Fermentation in the vat gave the contents a pungent, sweetish taste similar to pickled rice, a product called nare-zushi, and which the Japanese eat today.

The kind of sushi we know today molded sushi came later, in the early 19th century in Tokyo then Edo . Eden-style sushi is called nigiri zushi. This product requires neither fermentation nor crushing. A molded block of rice with a slice of fresh fish laid on top and a piece of wasabi is the simplest way to make sushi. The assortment of ingredients is very wide, here are just a few of them starting with the most commonly used : Tuna maguro , the fat part of tuna toro , the half-fat part of tuna ty , sea bass tai , sea urchin uni , squid ika , octopus taco , red salmon roe ikura , sea eel anago and many other seasonal fish and shellfish, to the only non-sea product tamagoyaki, a piece of a thick sweetened omelet laid over rice.

As a dish in its own right, nigiri-zushi gave rise to several varieties. Besides standard “one bite” balls, very widespread is the variant of katanoe sushi, nori-maki, when seaweed leaves are covered with rice, something is put in the middle, wasabi Japanese horseradish is added, then everything is rolled up into an oblong sausage which is cut into slices. For example, if you put cucumber slices inside it, you get kappamaki, if you put fresh tuna slices inside it, you get tekkamaki, and you can’t count all the different kinds of toppings.

If the seaweed slices are rolled like a pile, obliquely, such sushi is called temaki jushi. The easiest way to prepare sushi is in the form of a salad, a dish called tirashi zushi, otherwise known as crumbled sushi.

First time in a sushi class

Today, sushi lovers have many ways to enjoy this wonderful dish: to spend an evening in a restaurant, order sushi at home and, of course, learn how to cook sushi yourself. Cooking sushi at home is becoming more and more popular for several reasons:

– It’s no secret that we overpay in restaurants up to 80% of the cost of a dish, so this is a great way to save money

– You can easily buy all the necessary ingredients rice, seaweed, soy sauce, etc. .

– Many people are attracted to the possibility to eat sushi at home in a pleasant atmosphere with their favorite music or to have a sushi party in a pleasant company of close friends.

We decided to take a training course at Sushi-Lover school to learn all the secrets and tricks of this skill from the professionals. In the group of like-minded fellows the three hours flew over very quickly, and the sushi was very tasty, I wanted to continue learning at the next level, come here with a group of friends. So, in order.

Inventory

Rice cooker, multicooker, steamer if not – cauldron, a pot with thick walls and bottom for even heat distribution .

Sharp vegetable knife.

A long, sharp knife for fish.

Bamboo mat.

Disposable gloves.

About the burlap

Bamboo roll-up cobbler mat , made from narrow strips of bamboo, used to wrap sheets of nori around rice and other ingredients to make katana sushi. The mat should be wrapped in clingfilm and coated with mayonnaise to make it a little greasy before use.

About the rice

The secret of sushi rice is simple: the more experience you have, the more perfect the rice will be. In our own experience and having practiced it at home many times, we have learned that well-cooked sushi rice is more than half the battle, which means you have to pay as much attention to its cooking as to all the other phases of cooking. Let’s admit that there were cases when we were distracted at this moment by the preparation of other ingredients, overcooked rice or simply did not comply with the proportions of the recipe – it had a great effect on the quality of sushi. Remember that cooking sushi rice is a science in which theory without practice means exactly nothing. So practice more often and by experience you will find the right rice recipe for sushi: sticky, soft inside, but does not lose its shape when molded.

About chopsticks

Chopsticks hashi come in different sizes depending on their purpose. They can be made of untreated or specially treated wood, lacquered materials, bamboo or plastic. Getting utensils for cooking sushi, do not forget to buy at least one pair of long wooden chef sticks, called saibashi they spread snacks on plates and use them in the kitchen . They are 25-30 cm long, and both ends are fastened with a short thread. The string itself serves to hang chopsticks, but it can be removed.

The simplest chopsticks are made of untreated wooden slats. Varnished or plastic chopsticks, for all their appeal, are difficult for inexperienced fingers to grasp because of their smooth surface they make it difficult to grasp the food.

The head’s in the clouds

You can make sushi without fish, but you can’t imagine sushi without rice. After all, the taste and consistency of this product is the basis of our perception of sushi. The most important thing is to choose the right grits. It is best to buy white fine-grained Japanese rice in packages marked “for sushi” when cooked, it turns out airy, grain by grain for example, Nishiki, Fushigon, Ginsari, Kalrose, Takara, Kabayashi .

Cook the rice

Weigh rice – 500 g, wash 3-4 times in cold water, add 550 g of water. Bring to a boil, cook for 10-15 minutes, then leave to steam for 15 minutes, turning off the gas without opening the lid. Or cook in a rice cooker for 35-40 minutes. Ideally, 500 g of rice after boiling will yield 1 kg of the finished product. Then pour evenly over the rice with the sauce, which you can buy or make yourself.

Cooking sushi rice sauce

Ingredients: 100 g rice vinegar, 85 g sugar, 15 g salt, if desired you can add 4 g kombu seaweed and 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce.

Preparation: Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and stir once more to dissolve the sugar. Cool to room temperature. You can use already prepared seasonings that have the same properties as the sushi rice sauce.

You will need 100-150 grams of sushi rice sauce per 1 kg of cooked rice. Gently stir the rice with a wooden spoon 3-4 times with 5 minute intervals to make sure that the sushi rice sauce is getting on all the grains. Sometimes you can read in books about the ancient ritual of fanning rice, which gives it a special pearly shine.

Rice once cooled to a temperature of 36-37 ⁰C is ready to serve. Remember, you have to use it the same day, without putting it in the fridge, otherwise it will become tough and the sushi will be dry and not as flavorful as fresh rice.

Cooking Sushi

NIGIRI SUSHI

– Prepared sushi rice – 12 g,

– Wasabi – 0.1g,

– Nori – a thin 1 cm strip,

– Smoked eel – 10 g instead of eel you can have perch, smoked salmon, tuna, rudders, scallops, squid, shrimp, clam, mackerel .

Step 1.

Slice eel, salmon, tuna with a sharp fish knife. Slices should be even, neat, about four fingers long and two wide.

Grilled eel unagi – called “smoked eel” in sushi bars menu is undoubted favourite among fish used in cooking sushi. It is loved for its unusual sweet flavor, for its tender meat, for its excellent compatibility with other foods.

Step 2.

Take a small amount of rice in the palm of your hand, squeeze your fingers. Make smooth, easy motions: Roll rice with your fingers, but do not crush it. Our job is to make a neat “bar”, well glued on the outside but loose on the inside. If it doesn’t work the first time, set aside the rice and make a new one. With a little practice, you’ll know what kind of finger pressure is enough to make the billet look nice and not fall apart.

The rice should be warm hot heats the fish, and cold does not stick well .

Step 3.

Take a slice of fish in your left hand, smear it with wasabi, place the rice bar on top. Turn the nigiri-sushi with the fish upside down, press the fish slightly so that it takes the shape of a rice “bar”. In advance, cut the nori seaweed into thin strips long enough to wrap the nigiri sushi. Roll up eel with a thin strip of nori.

Guncan

– Prepared sushi rice – 12g,

– nori – 1/6 sheet,

– nut sauce,

– Chuka salad – 10g also delicious with tobiko roe, trout roe, spicy fish – you can buy all that in specialized stores .

Gunkan is a type of molded sushi that is prepared without using a mat.

Step 1.

Prepare the same ball of rice as for nigiri sushi. Cut nori seaweed in 3 cm strips. With the roughened side of the seaweed against the rice, wrap the rice. To prevent the tip of the seaweed from sticking out, stick it with rice.

Step 2.

In the resulting basket, place cooked chuca salad and drizzle with nut sauce.

Nori algae in gunkan sushi starts to take up moisture from the filling quite quickly, and loses its luster and shape. So if you want to make a lot of gunkan sushi, make the tempura first, and stuff it just before serving.

Hosomaki

– Ready-made sushi rice – 80 g,

– nori – 1/2 sheet,

– wasabi – 0.1 g,

– Cucumber – 20g you can stuff it with any fish, avocado or seafood .

If cucumber is bitter or not crispy, put it in ice water for 5 minutes

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Step 1.

Nori cut in half and put on the prepared rug rough side up the smooth side – outward, it is a showcase . Spread a small ball of rice 80g on a sheet of nori as if you are looking for something in it, do not squeeze it . One centimeter of nori is left free of rice.

Step 2.

Using a sharp knife, cut off cucumber skin all around and continue cutting until you reach the seeds we don’t need the seeds in the middle of cucumber . Slice the cucumber into thin strips, you can also slice the avocado into strips. Sprinkle sesame seeds in the middle of the rice and arrange cucumber or avocado on top.

Step 3.

Holding the stuffing, wrap the roll inside out, press a little.

Step 4.

Brush the edge of the nori without rice with water and “glue” the roll.

Step 5.

Using a mat give a square shape to a roll.

If the seam doesn’t come together – no problem! Cut a strip of nori, drench it in water and make a patch. No one will notice your cleverness!

Step 6.

Wet a very sharp knife and slice the rolls it’s best to wet the knife each time you slice . First cut the roll in half, then place the two halves side by side and cut them into three pieces. Serve the rolls ready so that you can see the filling.

Roll with rice on top

– Ready sushi rice -110g,

– nori – 1/2 sheet,

– Wasabi – 0.1 g,

– Japanese mayonnaise – 5g or Philadelphia cream cheese – 15-20g.

– Cucumber and avocado 10g each,

– Main filling – 20g.

For “California” take shrimp or crab meat, and for “Philadelphia” put more cream cheese. You can experiment with different kinds of fish and seafood and pick a dish to suit your tastes.

– Top filling.

“California” is dipped in flying fish roe or sesame, “Philadelphia” is covered with a layer of salmon. You can also cover the rolls with tuna shavings, finely chopped dill, thinly sliced smoked eel or avocado.

Step 1.

We put half a sheet of nori on a mat with the rough side facing up. With wet hands, spread rice evenly on nori. On one side, leave 1 cm of nori seaweed uncovered, and on the other side, spread the rice 1.5 mm below the nori.

Press rice down slightly and flip entire sheet.

Step 2.

From the rice and make a “partition”. Spread Japanese mayonnaise on one side and Philadelphia cheese or cottage cheese on the other.

Step 3.

Place chopped cooked shrimp and cucumber on top of mayonnaise.

Step 4.

Place sliced avocado on top of the Philly cheese.

Step 5.

Holding the filling with your hands, wrap the mat. The leftover edge of the nori goes inside, and the rice on top covers the seam.

Step 6.

Shape the roll into a square.

Step 7.

Trim the edges to have a neat look.

Step 8.

Using a sharp knife soaked in water, cut the roll into two parts. Where there’s cream cheese is for Philly, mayonnaise and shrimp is for California.

Step 9.

Place the roll on a thinly sliced piece of salmon and shape it with a mat.

Step 10.

Join the two rolls together and cut them into four equal pieces with a sharp, wet knife.

Step 11.

If the “Philadelphia” roll is ready, then the “California” roll should be topped with sesame seeds or flying fish roe red, black, raspberry, green – to your taste .

Don’t forget the soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Enjoy! And we’re all set for a romantic dinner!

We thank Sushi-Lover Sushi School for the help in preparing the material, for the valuable advice and inspiring training!

In the multicooker

Panasonic SR-TMH18/10

The rice is cooked with the “Buckwheat” program.

It’s great if you have a multicooker or rice cooker – this will make things a lot easier. If you are going to cook Japanese food often, this would be a worthwhile investment. With it, you’ll save a lot of time and unnecessary hassle. If you don’t have such equipment, a cauldron or a pot with thick walls and bottom will do, an ordinary enameled pot is the last and undesirable option.