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Sushi: All About Sushi

Source of Recipe

internet


List of Ingredients

RICE:
3 cups short grain white rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 small bund knobu (dried rolled kelp)
SEASONING FOR RICE:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt


Recipe

Rinse rice well for about 5 min. Let drain in colander for about 1/2 hr. In sauce pan add rice, water, and kelp. On high heat, bring to boil--remove kelp and discard. Let boil a few minutes, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 min. While the rice is cooking, heat vinegar, sugar, and salt until everything dissolves. Let cool. Place rice in a large pan (use glass so the vinegar doesn't react with any metal.) Set the fan up to blow on the rice. With a wooden spoon or rice paddle stir in seasoning a little at a time. Careful not to mush the rice. Periodically dip the paddle in cool water to keep the rice from sticking. Keep at room temperature covered with a moist towel. Don't refrigerate. Have a little bowl of 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar to dip your fingers in to prevent sticking while constructing sushi.

SERVING SUSHI: Serve with tea, sake, or beer. Shredded daikon and sliced, pickled ginger(gari) are meant to refresh the palate between sushi courses. Wasabi(green horseradish) is mixed with soy sauce for sashimi(fish without rice.) Sushi is meant to be dipped in soy sauce only. It's supposed to be dipped with the fish side down, not the rice. Place in mouth with the fish side down. Sushi is served in pairs.

MAKIZUSHI FILLINGS:
CUCUMBER: peel and cut into sticks 1/4-1/2 inch thick
TUNA: cut in sticks about 1/2 inch thick
SHIITAKE MUSHROOM: Soak dried shiitake in warm water 1 hr., then drain. Blend all ingredients in pan (2 oz shiitake, 2 cup dashi stock, 3 tbl. soy sauce, 1 tbl. mirin, 2 tbl. sugar). Simmer shiitake over low heat, uncovered for 1 hr. Let cool then slice into sticks.
KAMPYO(gourd shavings): Soak kampyo in hot water until soft, about 10 min. Drain and rub with a pinch of salt. Rinse well and drain. Place in saucepan with other ingredients (1 oz kampyo, pinch salt, 2 c. dashi stock, 3 tbl. soy sauce, 1 tbl. mirin, 2 tbl. sugar). Simmer over medium heat uncovered for 1/2 hour, then turn up heat until sauce is almost evaporated. Let cool and cut to length.
TAMAGO (egg omelet): Mix 2 tbl. water with 1 tbl. cornstarch, then add remaining ingredients ( 1 tbl. sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 5 well beaten eggs). Heat large, non-stick skillet, add 1/2 of the egg mixture and cook over medium heat until the egg just sets and begins to dry. Remove and cut into long strips about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the egg mixture.
FISHCAKE:(kamaboko):purchase colored steamed fishcake, cut into pieces 1/2 inch thick
VEGETABLES: steamed carrots (cut 1/4" thick sticks), avocado (1/4" sticks), pickled daikon (1/4" sticks)
FRIED TOFU (tofu cutlet):purchased and cut into strips 1/2 inch thick

ROLLED SUSHI:All of these are wrapped in nori(sheets seaweed) which you toast by passing the shiny side over flame or heat until crisp. You need a bamboo mat for rolling the makizushi. Put smooth, shiny side of toasted nori down on mat. Spread about 3/4 cups of Shari Rice on the nori to the ends but leave the top part of the nori free of rice so you can seal the roll. Place chosen filling in a line then roll tightly. Moisten margin with water and roll the rest of the way to seal. It takes some practice, but you'll get the hang of it.

VARIETIES: These are standard varieties as described in _Sushi_, by Mia Detrick.
Futomaki: sweet bright pink fish powder, egg filling, strips of gourd, steamed veggies
Tekkamaki: fresh raw tuna
Kappamaki: julienned cucumber
Oshinkomaki: yellow pickled daikon
Unakyu: grilled fresh water eel, cucumber. Anakyu: grilled marine eel, cucumber
Umekyu: cucumber, neri ume(tart plum paste)
Can make rolls with combinations of fried tofu, egg, cucumber, avocado, daikon, steamed carrot.

NIGIRIZUSHI (hand pressed mounds of rice with fish):Have bowl of 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar ready. Dip fingers to prevent sticking. Put about 2 Tbsp. rice in one hand, press firmly into oval shape with the first two fingers of your other hand. Be sure to buy good, fresh fish. Use pieces cut into 1x2x1/4 inch pieces. If you're concerned about parasites, freeze slices for 24 hrs., defrost and use. Hold rice pad in one hand and the fish piece in the other. Brush a streak of wasabi down the center of the fish with your finger. Cradle the fish in your hand and press the rice pad onto it. Roll the sushi along your hand till the fish side is up. Press the top and sides to firm it. Place on tray.

SEAFOOD: tuna, halibut, albacore, sea bass, yellowtail, bonito, Japanese shad, octopus (cooked, thin sliced), mackerel, salmon, abalone, squid (fresh or raw), red snapper, crab, prawn, flounder, smoked oysters / clams. PRAWN: Devein, but leave shell on. Skewer with toothpicks to keep from curling. Drop in boiling salt water that has a dash of rice vinegar. Boil 3 minutes till opaque and pink. Then plunge in cold water. Remove toothpicks and shells. Split along underside and butterfly.