How to Order and Prepare Sushi
By Kevin Stein
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Cutting sushi in Montana
photo by Kevin Stein
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Japanese culture places high value on food that satisfies all the senses, which is why great care is taken in preparation and pride in the final result. Nothing embodies this tradition more than sushi. When the freshest ingredients are combined in such a manner as to delight the eyes as well as the palate, the art of sushi reaches its zenith.
Sashimi means “raw” in Japanese and generally refers to the raw seafood eaten by itself. Sushi refers to the vinegar-flavored rice accompanied by sashimi, vegetables, omelets, or any combination thereof rolled in nori seaweed. These terms are often confused and it’s important to know the difference. Sashimi is usually served as an appetizer and sushi as the main course, which may be accompanied by miso soup.
When eating at a sushi bar, you may order from the menu or sometimes choose from an array of items displayed in a sushi case. It’s always best to ask the sushi chef for advice. Ask if the fish is fresh and if it comes from a reliable source. A good sushi chef will recommend the freshest fish choices and will serve them in the most appropriate order. A sushi bar is no place to be timid—be bold! Try new things and expand your palate.
Making sushi at home is fun and not too difficult. While there is an appreciable difference between the weekend warrior and the seasoned master sushi chef, there is little reason why the art of sushi shouldn’t be included in your weekly culinary repertoire.
Here’s a simple list of sushi-specific items you’ll need to get started:
• Bamboo rolling mat (makisu)
This is an essential tool for rolling sushi. After using the mat, carefully scrub it clean and dry thoroughly.
• Sushi knife (yanagiba)
A single-sided knife used for preparing fish and for cutting sushi rolls.
• Vegetable knife (santoku)
A double-sided rectangular knife used for preparing vegetables.
• Rice steamer
A good rice cooker will have an automatic timer and temperature control to ensure perfect rice every time.
The popularity of sushi and sushi restaurants has increased rapidly in the last twenty years, and so too has the list of potential ingredients. Tofu is a recent addition to this list, as is asparagus, snow peas, cream cheese and others. The following list of basic ingredients should help you get going:
VEGETABLES
• Avocado
• Carrots
• Chives
• Cucumber
• Pickled ginger (gari)
• Wasabi
FISH
• Ahi tuna
• Ebi shrimp
• Eel (Unagi)
• Escolar
• Salmon
• Tobiko (flying fish roe)
• Yellowtail (hamachi)
OTHER INGREDIENTS
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Japanese mayonnaise (kewpee)
• Nori
• Sushi rice
• Sake
• Sesame Seeds (goma)
• Soy Sauce (shoyu)
• Vinegar (awasezu)
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Preparing Sushi
photo by Kevin Stein
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When purchasing sushi ingredients, it’s imperative to use only the freshest seafood and produce. Sushi-grade tuna should have a bright red luminescence and will practically glow in the fish case. Other fish, such as salmon or escolar, should look firm, moist, and have a faint pleasant odor. Consult with your local fishmonger and don’t be afraid to ask questions. A good fishmonger will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.
The key ingredient to a great sushi experience is perfectly cooked and seasoned sushi rice. A good electric rice cooker with automatic temperature control and timer will ensure perfect rice every time.
The following instructions will yield approximately 20 rolls.
First, place 4 cups of rice into a large mixing bowl and add cold water nearly to the top of the bowl. Stir rice briskly to remove any debris. Rinse rice in a large colander with cold water. Repeat this step until water runs clear. (It should only take about three rinses.) Avoid rinsing too many times because you do not want to remove all of the starch and nutrients from the rice.
Place the rice and 4 cups of water into an electric rice cooker and turn on. The machine will cook the rice in roughly 20 minutes. Once the rice is done, place it in a wooden rice tub (hangiri) or a large, nonmetallic, flat-bottomed bowl. Spread rice out evenly around the tub using a rice paddle or a wooden spoon.
Next, add approximately 1/2 cup of seasoned rice vinegar and distribute evenly and slowly (if you use too much, rice will become mushy). Continue mixing rice with the paddle using a slicing method. Use a hand-held fan to help cool the rice. Repeat stirring and fanning (to make the rice slightly sticky). Stop once the rice reaches room temperature. Place a damp kitchen towel over the rice and cover with a lid to keep warm. The rice is now ready to be made into sushi.
Make room on your counter to spread out all of your sushi ingredients. You’ll want a bowl of cool water on hand (to keep rice from sticking to your fingers) and a clean damp kitchen towel (to prevent rice from sticking to the knife). Prepare all of your vegetables and fish by slicing thinly into strips. Doing so ensures that all of the ingredients fit into the sushi roll.
You’re now ready to roll some sushi. Let’s start with a simple but elegant ahi tuna mango roll (Tekkamaki).
Take one nori seaweed sheet. Place on your bamboo rolling mat so the dull side of the nori faces you, and the lines on the sheet run horizontally. With wet hands, take a golf-ball size of sushi rice and squeeze into an oblong-shaped ball. Place the sushi ball on the center of nori towards the bottom of the sheet. Then use your fingers to spread rice evenly over the bottom half of the nori sheet.
Place tuna strips along center of rice. Add thinly sliced mango next to tuna.
Place fingers flat over tuna strips to hold them in place, then use your thumbs to lift up edge of bamboo rolling mat closest to you.
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Rolling Sushi
photo by Kevin Stein
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Roll the mat away from you, pressing the tuna in to keep the roll firm. Lift the rolling mat over slowly until it covers rice; then continue until you have a 3⁄4 inch strip of rice-free nori. Hold the rolling mat in position and press all around to make the roll firm. Using your index fingers on top and fingers and thumbs on the side, gently press the roll together.
Lift up top of rolling mat and turn roll over a little more so that the strip of nori on the far side joins other edge of nori to seal the roll. Use your damp fingers to make sure roll is properly closed.
Slice roll in half, then cut both rolls twice to get six equal-sized pieces. Repeat with remaining nori and rice. Enjoy!
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