Sushi 101

Sushi 101 Instructions for home sushi making Wayne Wauters EHRD 612

Equipment 1. A rice maker is a requirement not an option to get consistently good results a rice cooker is essential. 2. Sushi rice is flavored with a vinegar sugar combination the one pictured on the last slide is good for sushi. (it comes in a yellow bottle). 3 A very sharp knife. I bought a Japanese knife but any very sharp knife will do. 4.Nori Paper (seaweed paper) for making rolls. 5.A container for cooling the rice. 6. A bamboo roller. 7. A large cutting board.

Flavors 1. Sriracha is a great Asian hot sauce It is mixed with garlic and other spices. If you like spicy, this is the sauce for you. 2 Wasabi is like straight horseradish - this powder is mixed with water to form a thick paste. 3 Asian red pepper spice if you like spice but want to be able to control the heat. 4. Pickled Ginger used as a palate cleanser. 5. Soy and Ponzu sauces used for dipping.

Rice When I fist started making sushi I used a very fancy short grain rice the one on the left in the picture. After attending a class at Central Market I learned that medium grain rice is the rice used by most sushi bars and is significantly less expensive. The star on the package is placed on new crop rice which is highly prized in sushi making.

Fish A word about fish, there is potential danger in eating raw foods especially if they are not handled properly. For making sushi at home one should buy only frozen sashimi grade fish or buy fish from a sashimi licensed fish monger. In Houston Nippan Diado is licensed to sell sashimi. I buy my fish at Sam’s when I am making rolls. When I make nigiri or the individual pieces I usually buy my fish at Nippan Diado because it is easier to cut but I must mention, it is far more expensive.

Fish 1. Thaw in the refrigerator. 2. Keep fish on ice until you are ready to cut. 3. Always dry the fish by wrapping it in a paper towel before cutting. 4. Wrap unused fish in a paper towel and in plastic wrap for storing in the refrigerator. Fish should be stored at no more than 38 degrees.

Mise en place For the novice sushi chef or home sushi chef want to be, having everything ready to cook or mise en place is extremely important. I learned that doing all of the prepwork makes it so much easier to work when making sushi. In the pictures you will see many common ingredients prepared. You see green onion sliced on a bias, avocado, match sticks of cucumber and jalapeno, asparagus, Asian mushrooms, and prepared spicy chopped tuna and creamy salmon for the rolls as well as fish for nigiri sushi.

The Process Rice must be rinsed two to three times before cooking to rinse the coating off. Traditional sushi chefs will let the rice sit for about fifteen minutes before cooking but the sushi chef who taught the class at Central Market said that this was not necessary. I have not noticed any difference when cooking the rice directly after rinsing it. The water should look like it does in the picture, almost clear.

The Process Sushi rice is cooked with a 1/1 ratio, meaning 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water. (if the rice is too sticky try an extra ¼ cup of water in a 2 cup batch the next time). Pictured is a 2 cup batch. 2 cups of rinsed sushi rice 2 cups of water ( remember to use the same measuring device for both the water and rice).

The Process Close the lid on the rice cooker and push the button down. The cook light will light. When the cook light changes to warm set a timer for 20 minutes. (Don’t fret over the light changing just set the timer when you notice the light has changed. Usually it changes after 5-15 minutes depending on the amount of rice you are cooking).

Prepwork While the rice is cooking cut the nori. For inside out rolls cut the nori as shown in the picture. Cut the smaller piece into individual 1 inch slivers. (This will leave about ½ inch of waste) Wrap your Bamboo roller in plastic wrap as seen in the next slide.

Working the Rice After the timer goes off, with a cloth, remove the pan from the rice cooker and dump it into your cooling tub or Hangiri. I bought one, but found out from the sushi chef in the class I attended that you can use any large dish. Scrape any hard rice from where the heating element touches the pan. Break up the rice working outward. (this is more like a chopping than stirring). Then evenly distribute 1 tablespoon of the vinegar per cup of rice the finished rice should look like the next slide and be covered with a damp towel to cool to room temperature.

Working the Rice Put a piece of nori on the dry cutting board. There is a water bowl next to my cutting board. It is necessary to WET your hands before working with sushi rice. Your hands should be about as wet as the would be if you had washed but not dried you hands. After wetting your hands take about a baseball sized ball of rice from the cooling dish. Do not squeeze it into a ball. Loosely gather it together.

Working the rice Spread the rice evenly on the nori. Add toasted sesame or tobiko (fish eggs) or both and spread evenly.

Rolling Place the nori on the rolling mat.

Rolling Flip the nori with rice over on the mat and place ½ to 1 inch for the bottom edge of the mat. Put the ingredients in the center of the nori. In this case we are making a California roll: Surimi, avocado and cucumber.

Rolling Using the bamboo mat roll your sushi by picking up the bottom side. Use your fingers to push on the ingredients as you roll the roll. This will make the roll tight. I did not do this on my first rolls and you can see the difference (pictures to follow).

Slicing When slicing sushi we should wet the knife in water before each slice or at a minimum once before cutting each roll. Slice the roll into four equal parts, then into eight pieces . You can also cut it in half and the into six pieces. (I find this much easier for the novice).

Prosciutto, Provolone, and Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar

Duck Mousse Pate with Cornichons, Truffle Oil, Enoki Mushroom and, Black Pepper

Spicy Tuna Inside Salmon and Avocado outside This is a local roll named after the restaurant where it is served. After rolling as before, carefully lay the avocado and salmon on the bias over the roll. Cover the roll with plastic wrap and lay the bamboo mat over the roll. Give it a firm squeeze and when you lift the mat it will look like the picture. Slice the roll with the plastic in place, then use the bamboo mat as before to firm up the roll. Remove plastic and serve.

Nigiri To make nigiri you will gather about a golf ball size of sushi rice in your hand. Gently squeeze it to form a semi-firm block. Carefully wipe a small amount of wasabi on the rice. Place a piece of cut fish on top of the rice and firmly pack each end with the thumb to make certain the fish stays on the rice.

Nigiri Tuna, Salmon and Shrimp

Gunkan Maki or Battleship Sushi Similar to Nigiri Sushi. When making Battleship sushi, you will want to gather about a loose golf ball size mass of rice. Gently press it into an oblong semi-rectangle. Place it on the cutting board and carefully wrap a 1 inch strip of nori around it. You can secure it with a smudge of rice. Wipe a little wasabi on the rice and fill with your favorite topping.

Sashimi Sashimi is raw fish with no rice. The idea is to make it look as beautiful as possible. If you are not a fan of sushi I would not recommend this style because there is no rice to enhance the flavor. Of course, if you can find a sashimi fish monger as we have in Houston and you like sushi, I would highly recommend this style of sushi.

Sushi 101

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