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The
Simple Side of Sushi
Making sushi at home is a delicious task
that's easier than you might think. The key, in the words of one
sushi-making expert, is: practice, practice, practice.
Most master sushi chefs need years to
hone their skills, so don't be disappointed if your first try isn't perfect.
Just keep trying. Today we give you some of the basics to get you going.
Buying and preparing raw seafood
Fresh seafood, whether for sushi or any
other use, should never smell fishy but be almost odourless or, at the most,
have a sweet, sea-like aroma. Ask a trusted fish retailer about their
recommendation for sushi-grade -- very fresh -- seafood.
James Patterson's book, Fish &
Shellfish, recommends freezing sushi-grade fish for at least 24 hours before
using. Other sources recommended 48 hours. This process is designed to kill
any potential parasites in the fish.
It's easier to slice the fish when it's
still a little frozen. Slice against the grain into thin slices two inches
long and half an inch wide.
SUSHI GLOSSARY
Sushi rice: This short or medium-grain
rice is sticky when cooked so it holds together well for sushi. Look for
sushi rice or Oriental-style rice at supermarkets and Asian markets.
Nori: Toasted sheets of seaweed are used
to make sushi rolls and cones. Nori can range in colour from dark green to
dark purple to black. The thinner the sheets, the higher the quality. Once
opened, unused sheets should be stored in air-tight container in a dry, cool
place.
Nigiri Sushi: Oblong balls of cooked and
seasoned sushi rice topped most often with thinly-sliced fish and seafood.
Futomaki: Thick sushi rolls, like today's
California roll recipe.
Hosomaki: Thin sushi rolls.
Rice vinegar: A mild vinegar made from
fermented rice and used to flavour sushi rice.
Mirin: A low-alcohol, sweet rice wine
often used to flavour sushi rice. Available at Japanese and Asian-style
markets.
Japanese-style soy sauce: A light-coloured
soy sauce that does not stain food as dark soy sauce does. Kikkoman is a
major brand.
Wasabi: Spicy Japanese horseradish, which
comes fully prepared or in powder form to which water must be added.
Pickled ginger: Thin slices of preserved
ginger traditionally used to cleanse the palate between bites of sushi.
Sushi rolling mat: A small, flexible
bamboo mat used to make sushi rolls.
MAKING SUSHI RICE
This makes enough rice for three sushi
rolls (24 pieces), six small sushi rolls (24 pieces) or 16-20 pads for
nigiri sushi. Recipe can be expanded.
11/2 cups sushi rice
13/4 cups cold water
3 tbsps. rice vinegar
11/2 tbsps. sugar
11/2 tsps. salt
Rinse and rub rice under cold running
water until water runs clear. Allow rice to soak submerged in water 30
minutes. While the rice is soaking, combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a
pot. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and
cool to room temperature. Drain soaked rice well and place in a pot with the
13/4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to its
lowest setting and cover. Cook 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Spoon
into a large shallow-sided bowl or pan and spread it out into a thin layer
to help cool it. Stir in the vinegar mixture. When rice has cooled to room
temperature, it's ready to use.
CALIFORNIA ROLLS
1 recipe sushi rice
3 sheets nori
3 tbsps. mayonnaise
3/4 cup cooked crab meat, fresh, frozen
or tinned
1 small, ripe, peeled avocado, cut into
wedges
Cover sushi roller with plastic wrap. Set
on a sheet of nori. With water-moistened hands, spread 1/3 of the rice on
the nori, leaving a 1-inch strip at the top of the nori clear. Spread a thin
line of mayonnaise on the rice about 1/3 the way up the sheet. Top with 1/3
of the crab and avocado slices. If preparing the sushi rolls in advance and
serving them later, rub avocados with a little lemon juice first.
Roll sushi, squeezing on the bamboo
roller to compact the filling as you go.
Finish rolling. Cut into eight pieces.
Repeat with remaining nori, rice and filling.
Makes 24 pieces. Recipe can be expanded.
Other sushi roll combinations:
Small California Rolls: Cut nori sheets
in half. Place on your sushi rolling mat with the wide side facing you. Top,
roll and cut as you did for the larger California roll, but for each roll
use only half the amount of rice and filling. Small sushi rolls can be made
with any of the fillings suggested below.
Shrimp and Avocado Rolls: Replace crab
with small, cooked, salad shrimp.
Spicy Tuna Rolls: Replace crab with a row
of green onion and thin slices of raw tuna tossed with spicy Asian-style
chili sauce.
Salmon and Cucumber Rolls: Replace crab
with a row of thinly cut cucumber strips and thin slices of raw salmon.
Smoked Salmon Rolls: Repeat as for the
salmon rolls above, but replace raw salmon with smoked.
EBI
1 recipe sushi rice
16-20 medium- sized prawns, shell on
Small wooden skewers
Prepared wasabi
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water
to a boil. To keep prawns straight as they cook, thread a skewer through
each one length-wise. Cook prawns in boiling water until just cooked, about
2 to 3 minutes. Remove and plunge into ice-cold water to stop cooking. Drain
well.
Remove skewers from prawns and peel,
leaving tail portion intact. Butterfly prawns. Place a 2 tbsp.-sized ball of
rice in the palm of your water-moistened hand. Gently squeeze the rice to
compact it and form it in an oblong. Place a small amount of wasabi on the
cut side of the prawn and then set on top of the rice. Serve with wasabi,
pickled ginger and soy sauce.
Makes 16 to 20 pieces. Recipe can be
expanded.
by Eric Akis The
Province
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