Learn how to make sushi
How to make sushi
Good fish makes for good sushi, it’s as simple as that. The freshness and quality of it will be the deciding factor in how good your sushi tastes. Your best bet for good fish is to find it at your local market, although some grocery stores and supermarkets will sell sushi-quality fish.
Fresh fish will give you the best sushi but frozen fish can also give you good results. Here’s a quick tutorial for sushi preparation that will serve four people.
Frozen fish needs to be thawed. Do this by placing the still wrapped fish in the sink and running cold water over it. Be sure not to fill the sink up as you will need a constant and steady flow of fresh water to thaw it effectively.
During the fish thawing stage, you’ll have time to start making the rice. To feed four people you will need five scoops of rice in your bowl, add some water then wash the rice with your hands for a couple of minutes.
You then need to drain the water and repeat washing and draining twice more. Once the rice has been suitably washed and drained, fill the saucepan up with a suitable amount of water and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down, keep the lid on and allow to simmer for a further 10-15 minutes until the rice is tender.
Now check the fish while the rice is cooking. Women probably won’t struggle with this, but as a man, multi-tasking can be an issue – however, stick with it!
If the fish is soft, you’re ready to slice it. Cut open the fish after placing it on a chopping board and proceed to cut strips from the side of the fish ready for your sushi rolls. Place the strips on a separate plate – it might not be a bad idea at this point to keep the strips refrigerated for freshness.
The rice should be nearing completion now, so once it’s soft give it a few stirs to loosen it up. Drain it and place in a bowl. Now it’s time to add some rice vinegar to the rice until it’s the flavour you desire. Add any other herbs, spices or flavourings you need to make it the ideal taste.
Now it’s nori time (seaweed). Cut the nori into pieces relevant for your selected mold (remember you need enough to completely cover the rice). Push the nori down into the mold and begin to fill the nori with your seasoned rice.
Use the spatula to spread and flatten the rice. Make a groove in the rice using the purpose designed underneath of the top side of the mold.
In the groove in the rice, place your filling of fish, seafood and any other vegetables you may have prepared. Now add more rice on top of your fillings and spread evenly using the spatula.
With the rice and fillings in place on the nori, you can begin to roll the seaweed wrapper over the top. Once this is done, press down on top of the sushi roll with top side of the mold – this will keep the sushi roll tight.
Remove the top mold and use a sharp knife, preferably wet, to slice through the sections of the mold and create perfect looking sushi!
You can add condiments such as soy sauce, ginger and wasabi to suit your taste.