Ah, sushi. That popular Asian culinary art form of modest origins. That lovely, subtle cuisine that sates without bringing on the dreaded carb-coma. Some call it the new healthy fast food. Some call it high art. I just want to call it dinner.
Recently back from a hometown trip to Honolulu where my family enjoyed several expertly prepared sushi meals, a question popped to mind: Could I make good sushi at home? I’ve cooked plenty of Italian, created many Chinese dishes and experimented with Indian food. Why not try sushi?
Of two minds, I figured making sushi would be either quite simple or completely beyond my grasp. First, I wondered, how hard could it be? Cook some rice, grab some nori, slice some fish, julienne some veggies and avocados, roll it all together, and voila! I’ll have that lovely and delectable taste of home, right?
But I also knew that sushi chefs spend their entire lives perfecting the craft, so could I really expect my freshman efforts to result in anything remotely resembling the delectable Asian fare I’ve come to know and love? Would my kitchen merely wind up smelling like fish and burned rice? There was only one way to find out.
To start, I quick-scanned several books on sushi-making. This provided background on tools, ingredients, sushi history and presentation. I googled and watched a few do-it-yourself sushi-making videos, and then chatted up the chefs at my favorite sushi restaurant who graciously weighed in with expert guidance on everything from fish-slicing techniques to obscure seafood suppliers.
Finally, with a lot of information in my head but no experience in hand, I knew I needed to get my mitts dirty trying, so I signed up for “Sushi 101,” chef Danielle Edmonds’ beginner class at Sur La Table’s Boulder store. I came away from the class — a two-hour tour de force of sushi skills — with realistic hopes of making my own.
With several sushi sessions now under my belt, I realize my initial expectations and concerns were backward. Making sushi that tastes good isn’t the problem. My kitchen doesn’t smell like fish or burned rice.
The problem: it just hasn’t been pretty. And in the world of sushi, presentation matters. What I’ve made hasn’t been sleek. It hasn’t been elegant. Instead, it’s been rather messy. Uneven rolls, loosely packed rice, ingredients falling out. It’s the assembly and rolling technique that eludes me.
What the best chefs in the business know, and what I have learned, is that technique takes the longest to master. And like the masters, I intend to try and try again until practice makes perfect.
Monnie Nilsson: 303-954-1049 or mnilsson@denverpost.com
Five steps to making your own sushi
1. LEARN WHAT YOU LIKE
Try several sushi restaurants. Be adventurous: Talk to the sushi chefs. See what they recommend, and watch them. They’re a pretty gregarious and friendly bunch. You’ll pick up some basic techniques by watching closely. You will also learn what types of fish or seafood you like best, and determine which way you prefer it served. There are several sushi presentation styles. The most common include:
• Sushi rolls Maki-zushi (rolled sushi), Futomaki-zushi (thick-rolled sushi with several fillings), Hosomaki-zushi (thin-rolled sushi using a single filling): Nori on the outside of the rice and ingredients, as in California rolls and dragon rolls.
• Inside-out rolls Rice on the outside, sushi ingredients inside, decorated on the outside with fish roe, sesame seeds or tempura flakes.
• Nagiri Hand-formed sushi with a slice of fish or seafood served on top of a small hand-formed quantity of rice.
• Hand rolls (Temaki) Hand rolls or cone sushi with ingredients loosely wrapped in nori.
• Sashimi Raw fish or seafood served alone, without rice.
• Scattered (Chirashi-zushi) Sliced raw fish served over a bed of rice, often with vegetables.
• Wrapped sushi Ingredients wrapped in something other than nori, i.e. tofu pouches.
• Molded sushi Sushi made using molds to shape the sushi.
2. ASSEMBLE EQUIPMENT
Making sushi is much easier if you have the right tools. Here’s what you need:
• Rice cooker A cooker makes rice consistently each time and allows you to cook the rice without constantly watching or stirring, providing time to prep the other ingredients. It’s hard to make good sushi rice in a sauce pan.
• Sushi-grade knives It is very important to have a good, sharp knife for cutting your fish, vegetables and sushi rolls. Common knives used to make sushi include:
— A chef’s knife with a heavy, curved blade
— A fish knife that has a very sharp, long slim blade for slicing fish and cutting sushi rolls. The longer blade allows you to slice fish without running out of blade length, preventing a sawing motion which can smash or otherwise damage your fish and sushi rolls.
— A vegetable knife for fine and quick peeling, cutting and chopping
• Rice rolling mat and plastic wrap to keep rice from sticking to it, and prevent it from being washed frequently to prevent frequent replacements.
• Large bowl for mixing and cutting sushi rice, preferably wood.
• Rice paddle or wooden spoon for “cutting” sushi rice
• Small bowls and plates for lining up ingredients and for final presentation
• Cutting board
• Colander or bowl for washing rice and vegetables
• Dish cloths to wipe hands and utensils
3. LINE UP INGREDIENTS
With sushi, like any cooking, the best ingredients provide the best results. For great-tasting sushi, the most scrutiny should be given to your rice and fish. Sushi-grade fish is fairly pricey, but use the proper grade for safety and taste. Get to know your local fish suppliers.
FISH AND SEAFOOD
According to Whole Foods Boulder fishmonger Ryan Foote, these are the qualities to look for when buying sushi-grade fish:
• Bright-colored fish (dull or really dark or brown fish means fish is beginning to oxidize.
• Fish that doesn’t smell A strong smell indicates the fish is old.
• Fish that’s smooth and firm to the touch, not slimy.
• Fillets instead of steaks. Fillets are a better shape for slicing sushi.
Note that if you love eel, octopus or squid, or want specific types of fish other than yellowfin tuna and salmon (sake), you may have a hard time finding them in Colorado. Living in a landlocked state and the growing awareness and adoption of seafood-sustainability efforts reduce the availability of some of the more exotic fish and seafood options.
SUSHI RICE
Use only short-grained sushi rice. It’s starchy and absorbent, which makes it sticky. Jasmine, Basmati or other long-grained varieties aren’t suitably abosrbent, and are too dry and hard.
Look for “sushi rice” on the label of rice packaging, ask your supermarket which brands are best for sushi rice, or visit a local Asian market for the good selection. Well-known brands include: Kokuho Rose, Nashiki, Koshihikari.
OTHER SUSHI INGREDIENTS
Many of these items can be found in standard grocery stores. Most can be found in Asian food stores.
• Nori seaweed wrap.
• Wasabi Japanese horseradish commonly comes in either powder or paste form. Fresh wasabi root is hard to find.
• Mirin sweet rice wine.
• Japanese rice wine essential to the taste of sushi rice. It also has anti-bacterial properties and serves as a preservative.
• Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise.
• Pickled ginger to cleanse the palate, usually served in the corner of a sushi tray.
• Soy sauce dark soy sauce is used both as an ingredient and as dipping sauce.
• Crab meat real or imitation.
• Toasted sesame seeds Inside-out rolls are often rolled in these.
• Kombu a kelp seaweed used to flavor sushi rice during cooking.
• Vegetables carrots, cucumber, avocado, sh*take mushrooms, daikon radishes.
4. PREP AND ASSEMBLING
SUSHI RICE
Sushi rice must be washed with cold water prior to cooking to remove any bran compounds or powder. As you agitate the rice, the water will turn cloudy. Rinse until water is clear. If you fail to do this, your rice may be too sticky and smelly.
Sushi rice recipe
This makes enough rice to make sushi rolls for a family of four – all hearty eaters.
Rice
3 cups sushi rice (before cooking)
3 ¼ cups water
Add to the rice maker and set the time to begin cooking.
When rice is done cooking, prepare the sushi rice vinegar mix. This is what gives sushi rice its distinctive taste.
Rice vinegar mixture
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
Place rice vinegar and sugar into a small sauce pan. Over low heat mix until the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture cool.
While your rice is still hot, move it to a large wooden bowl.
Take vinegar mixture and sprinkle it lightly in small amounts over the rice, making horizontal and then vertical cutting motions across the rice. This gives each rice grain a chance to be coated by the vinegar mixture. Don’t pour the liquid on the rice or it’ll clump into big balls of rice, which you don’t want. If you like, use a small hand-held fan or piece of newspaper to fan the rice as it cools. When all of the vinegar mixture is cut into the rice, the rice should be sticky and shiny, and slightly cooled – not hot or cold (If your rice is too hot when assembling your sushi, it will become rubbery on the nori, according to Danielle Edmonds. Once your rice has cooled off a bit, it’s ready for making sushi. It’s best to use your sushi rice right away. (Refrigerating sushi rice makes it hard.)
VEGETABLES AND OTHER INGREDIENTS
Thinly slice or julienne carrots, cucumbers, avocado, crab meat, etc. This can be done with a slicer or by hand. Slice sushi ingredients as thinly as you can.
Set ingredients in small bowls, arranging them for easy access in a line or circle. You will be taking small bits from each bowl as you assemble your sushi.
FISH
In Colorado, you’ll most likely be using tuna or salmon fillets. If you prefer, you can also ask your fish provider to further slice the fish for you.There are five basic ways to cut sushi fish.
• A rectangular cut is most common and is usable on all fish. Hold the fish on the bias and start with the heel of the knife.
• An angled cut is often used for nagiri.
• A paper-thin cut can suit some firm, white fish.
• A cube cut can work for soft thick fish.
• A thread-cut is often used for squid and thin white fish filets.
5. WRAP AND ROLL
Place 8 ounces of water and 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar in a bowl so you can dip your hands when assembling your sushi. This will keep the rice from sticking to your hands, one of the biggest issues for rookie sushi makers.
Cover your bamboo mat with plastic wrap to prevent rice from sticking to it.
Position a half sheet of nori shiny side down on your saran covered bamboo mat. (If you are making an inside out roll, it doesn’t matter which side of your nori faces down because it will be inside the roll.)
Dip hands in the vinegar water mixture to prevent sticking.
Grab a small handful of sushi rice. Cover bottom three-quarters of nori sheet with thin layer of rice, leaving the top quarter of the nori sheet empty. (It is this empty section that will seal the roll together.)
Make a groove along the length of the rice.
Depending on your recipe, lay a thin layer of vegetables, crab meat or fish in the groove on top of rice on the bottom third of the nori sheet. (According to chef Edmonds, Japanese tradition calls for an odd — not even — numbers of ingredients, usually three or five items).
Add a small swipe of wasabi on top of other ingredients if you prefer.
Begin rolling your sushi roll by putting the tips of the four fingers of each hand on top of sushi ingredients to hold them in place while keeping both thumbs on the back of the bamboo rolling mat closest to you, as pictured above.
Push the mat forward until the mat is completely around the sushi roll and until the top and bottom edges of the nori meet.
Pull your four fingers out from the mat and roll.
Continue to roll the sushi mat in a circle around the ingredients. Avoid pressing too hard. The mat can be used to shape your sushi into a nice long, round roll, but be gentle or you’ll have a heavy rice log.
Set your first sushi roll on a plate. Make as many additional rolls as you like. Let them set for a few minutes prior to cutting. This will help the rice and ingredients stick and gel in shape.
To cut your sushi roll, place one sushi roll on your cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, gently cut each sushi roll in half, cutting down and through. Place the two halves above and below eachother, and cut each section into three pieces, leaving six bite-sized sushi morsels. Place the sushi on a plate.
Repeat until all of your sushi rolls are cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. EAT
Yes, there is a “suggested” way to eat sushi, but when eating at home, the rules aren’t nearly as rigid as when eating in a restaurant.
Chopsticks and fingers are both acceptable. Bite-sized sushi should be eaten in one bite. Never pass sushi from your chopsticks to someone else’s chopsticks. This is considered bad luck.
Most sushi restaurants hold that sushi shouldn’t be heavily doused with wasabi or dunked in soy sauce as both drown the subtle flavors of the fish, rice and other ingredients. A dab of wasabi will complement the flavor of your sushi. Too much will overpower it.
If you prefer to dip your sushi in soy sauce, do so sparingly. Too much soy will cause the rice to fall apart. Dip a corner of your sushi in the sauce. Place the sushi fish side down, when applicable, on your tongue to maximize the taste.
SUSHI CLASSES
• Sur La Table, 1850 29th St., Boulder, 303-952-7084, (and other Sur La Table locations)surlatable.com/category/Web-Cooking-Root/Cooking-Classes
• Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, 1487 S. Pearl St., 303-777-0826, sushiden.net/2011/10/30/sushi-event/
• The Seasoned Chef, 999 Jasmine St., 303-377-3222, theseasonedchef.com. Rollin’ Sushi Workshop, with Andrew Lubatty, $80, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Aug. 20.
PLACES TO BUY SUSHI-GRADE FISH
Whole Foods, Marzyk Fine Foods, Tony’s Meats
ASIAN MARKETS
• H Mart, 2751 S. Parker Road, Aurora
• 88 Asian Market, 421 S. Federal Blvd.
• Pacific Mercantile Company, 1925 Lawrence St, 303-295-0293, pacificmercantile.com
• Pacific Ocean Market Place, 6600 W. 120th Ave ., Broomfield, 303-410–8168
• Asian Seafood Market, 2833 28th St., Boulder, 303-541-9377
• Bangkok Asian Market, 1119 W. Drake Road, Fort Collins, 970-797-2896
