sushi by fangjiaqi

sushi the beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide

sushi the beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide Jiaqi Fang

TASTE LTD., CO. 2015

roll your own sushi

contents introduction

basic types

make simple rolls

CHAPTER 1 : maki

big suhi rolls: futomaki inside-out sushi: uramaki battleship rolls: gunkanmaki pickled salmon roll oyster roll with chilli cucumber

12 14 16 18 20

CHAPTER 2 : nigiri

treasure or the sea: fatty tuna excite your taste bud: salmon crazy rolls: tuna sea urchin albacore

22 26 28 30 32 34

CHAPTER 3 : sashimi

classic sashimi salmon sashimi yellowtail sashimi whitefish sashimi love boat sashimi

40 42 44 46 48

introduction

ushi has come a long way in a relatively short time. It is amazing that the mystique surrounding this sytle of food kept it from being a favourite with home cooks for so long. But now things have changed! Fresh sushi can be found everywhere from restaurants to supermarkets and fast-food outlets. It is served at elegant parties or the simplest home gatherings. Travel-weary tourists choose sushi restaurants for comforting, familiar food. Children have it in their lunchboxes, and even some school canteens serve it. Sushi

now hs become this generationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthy and convenience food. Techniques used in making sushi can be simplified for the home cook. One of the most popular styles, rolled sushi (markizushi), is easy and fund to make at home and, as soon as the process of rolling the rice has been mastered, a world of filling options becomes available. This book will introduce some sushi recipes that can be made at home.

2 SERVING SUSHI Traditional accompaniments for sushi are soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger, and it is often served with miso soup. A smear of wasabi can elevate a piece of sushi form the ordinary to something extraordinary. If you do not want to add wasabi in the sushi, serve a small mound on the side, or serve the sushi with a small dish of plain soy and one of wasabi and soy mixed together. Bought wasabi varies immensely; it is possible to find paste with a high percentage of real wasabi, but many are mostly horseradish - once again, buy the best you can or make your own. Sushi is best served immediately, but if you have to keep it for a while, wrap uncut rolls in clingflm/plastic wrap. Keep in a cool place, but NOT in the fridge, which will make the rice hard

and unpleasant - the vinegar in the rice will help to preserve it for a short time.

SUSHI-MAKING UTENSILS AND INGREDIENTS Special sushi-making utensils and authentic ingredients are beautiful and useful, and sold even in supermarkets. Many brands of nori are available pretoasted and in a variety of grades use the best you can. Some of the recipes in this book call for onl half a sheet. When this is so, cut the sheets in half from the shortest side, so you are left with the most width. When making rolled sushi remember that rice is easier to handle nori with dry. Keep a bowl of vinegared water and a towel on hand to make the job easier.

before we start

Sashimi

Nigiri

Temaki

Maki

California Maki

basic types NIGIRI

SASHIMI

6 pieces of nigiri with different types of fish Nigirizushi, or nigiri, means “hand-pressed sushi.” With nigiri rolls, the rice is squeezed or “hand-pressed” into a mound. Neta, a slice of fish or seafood, is placed on top of the rice mound. Many sushi chefs will add wasabi in between the rice and neta.

sashimi is a place of raw salmon with chopsticks. If you’re one of the people who immediately thinks “raw fish” when you hear sushi, then you are probably thinking of sashimi. Sashimi means “pierced body” and is simply raw fish served without rice. If it is served with rice, it is considered sushi.

MAKI

called norimaki.You can eat maki with either your fingers or chopsticks.

Makizushi (maki for short) is the most common type of sushi. Makizushi literally means “rolled sushi” and that’s exactly what it is. Maki sushi is made by wrapping fish, vegetables, or meat into nori (seaweed) using a bamboo mat called a makisu. It can also be wrapped in a thin egg omelette, soy paper, or cucumber. Each roll is cut into six to eight bite-size pieces. Maki is also sometimes

TEMAKI Temaki sushi, also known as hand rolled sushi, is a popular casual Japanese food. The conelike form of temaki incorporates rice, specially prepared seaweed called nori, and a variety of fillings known

Sashimi is typically served over a garnish.You can eat sashimi with soy sauce or wasabi. Sometimes, wasabi paste is already mixed into the soy sauce when served with sashimi. It’s proper to eat sashimi with chopsticks.

6 as neta. While Temaki is rare at formal restaurants, it is popular at casual ones and at home, especially for roll your own sushi parties. Making temaki is easy and fun, and it is often used to introduce Westerners to the taste and experience of having sushi.

make simple rolls step-by-step 1 Put sushi rolling mat on a work surface, then put 1/2 sheet of toasted nori seaweed on top. Take a handful of rice (2-3 heaped tablespoons) and make into a log shape. Put the rice in the middle of the nori.

2 Using our fingers, spread it evenly all over, leaving about 1.5cm margin on the far side. (The rice will stick to your fingers, so dip them in the hand vinegar first.)

3 Take a small dot of wasabi paste on the end of your finger and draw a line down the middle across the rice, leaving a light green shadow on top of the rice. Then arrange the fillings across the rice, on top of the wasabi.

4 Pick up the mat from the near side and keep the cucumber in the centre. Roll the mat oaver to meet the other side so that the rice stays inside the nori. Lift the near edge of the mat. The join should be underneath so it will stick well ( it sticks together because of the moisture in the rice).

5 Remove the cylinder from the mat and put, joinside down, in the covered flat container while you make the remaining rolls. Cut each roll in half, then each half into 3, making 6 pieces in total.

6 Arrange on a platter and serve with pickled ginger, a little pile of wasabi paste and a dish of Japanese sy sauce.

CHAPTER 1

maki

Maki is a type of sushi roll that includes toasted seaweed nori rolled around vinegar-flavored rice and various fillings, including raw seafood and vegetables. The word maki means â&#x20AC;&#x153;roll.â&#x20AC;? There are a variety of types, including uramaki which is complex and requires the attention of a skilled chef. Others such as temaki are very easy to make, and frequently eaten at home and at social gatherings. Maki sushi comes in several varieties, depending on how thick the roll is and how the roll is constructed. The most common form is hosomaki. These thin rolls are made by making a small strip of sushi rice and one or two ingredients along one edge of a sheet of nori and then rolling it up tightly to form a slender roll. The roll is then cut into small pieces before serving, often alongside other types of sushi. Common cucumber rolls, carrot rolls, and tuna rolls are common types of hosomaki.

big sushi rolls futomaki 3 sheets nori seaweed 1 recipe vinegared rice, divided into 6 portions HAND VINEGAR 4 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar 250ml/1 cup water FILLINGS 9-12 uncooked king prawn/jumbo shrimp 1 recipe japanese omelette 250g spinach 3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce 20g dried gourd or 1 carrot 5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon mirin sea salt TOSERVE Japanese soy sauce Pickled Ginger MAKES 24 PIECES

1 Mix the hand vinegar ingredients in a small bowl 2 Skewer a cocltail stick through each prawn from head to tail to prevent curling while cooking. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes until firm and pink. Immediately plunge into cold water and drain. Remove the cock tail sticks, shells and dark back vein. 3 Cut the Japanese omelette lengthways into 1cm square sticks. 4 Blanch the spinach in lightly salted water for 1 minute. Plunge into cold water. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons soy sauce and set aside. 5 If using dried gourd, rub with salt and a little water, then soak in water for 10 minutes and drain. Cut into 20cm lengths. Soak teh shiitakes in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain, retaining the soaking water. Cut into 5cm strips. Put 250ml/1 cup of the soaking liquid in a small saucepan with the remaining soy sauce, sugar and mirin. Bring to the boil. Add the gourd and shiitakes. Simmer over low heat for 15 mintues. Let cool in the liquid. 6 Toast gthe nori over a low gas flame or hotplate and put it crossways on a sushi rolling mat, following the method on page 8. Dip your hands in the hand vinegar. Take 1 portion of rice and squeeze it between your hands into a firm ball. Put the rice ball on one side of the nori sheet in the middle and, using wet fingers, spread it evenly over the half of nori, leaving about 3cm margin on the far side. Repeat this once more to fill the other half. The rice layer should be fairly thick - add extra rice if necessary. 7 Arrange 3-4 prawns in a row across the rice about 5cm from the front edge. Add a row of omelette strips and a row of spinach on top of the prawns. Add a row of gourd or carrot and a row of shiitakes on top, so that all 5 ingredients are piled down the middle of the rice. 8 Pick up the mat from the near side and roll the mat following the method on page 8.

battleship rolls gunkanmaki 1 1/2 sheets nori 1 Put the rice in a bowl and wash it with cold water. Repeat seaweed washing until the water becomes almost clear. Drain the rice in a 1/2 recipe vinegared rice, colander and set aside for 30 minutes. HAND VINEGAR 4 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar 250ml/1 cup water TOPPINGS 8-12 tablespoons crabmeat 1 teaspoon sake 2 teaspoons wasabi paste or powder 4-6 tablespoons salmon caviar(ikura or keta) or red lumpfish caviar TOSERVE Japanese soy sauce Pickled Ginger MAKES 12 PIECES

2 Place the rice in rice cooker and add measured water. Let the rice soak in the water at least 30 minutes. Start the cooker. 3 Prepare sushi vinegar by mixing rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan. Put the pan on low heat and heat until the sugar completely dissolves. 4 Cool the vinegar mixture. Spread the hot steamed rice into a large plate or a large bowl. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice by shamoji (rice spatula) quickly. 5 Mix corn, mayonnaise, and soy sauce in a bowl. Wet your hands and take about two tablespoons of sushi rice in your hand and lightly shape it into an oval. Repeat the process to make mounds of sushi rice. 6 Mix corn, mayonnaise, and soy sauce in a bowl. Wet your hands and take about two tablespoons of sushi rice in your hand and lightly shape it into an oval. Repeat the process to make mounds of sushi rice. 7 Dry your hands. Take a nori strip and wrap it around a mound of sushi rice. The nori should be higher than the rice. 8 Press nori gently to rice and form a base. Place corn topping on the rice.

CHAPTER 2

nigiri

Nigiri sushi is a type of Japanese dish made with sushi rice and fresh fish. The sushi rice is hand formed into a small clump, and the fish is sliced and pressed on top of it. In some cases, nigiri sushi uses a small strip of toasted seaweed called nori to bind the whole mixture together, although this is not obligatory. Nigiri sushi is commonly found in sushi restaurants which have a reliable supply of high quality raw fish and well trained cooks. Nigiri sushi is commonly called two kinds sushi because it involves two ingredients: sushi rice and a single topping. The topping is also known as neta, and usually takes the form of a type of seafood such as tuna, eel, haddock, shad, snapper, octopus, or shrimp. Depending on the type of fish, it may be served raw in thin slices, grilled, or batter fried. Because the fish is clearly on display, and often served raw, cooks select fish of the highest quality and cut it meticulously so that it is aesthetically pleasing and healthy to eat..

hand-moulded sushi nigiri-zushi 1/3 recipe vinegared rice HAND VINEGAR 4 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar 250ml/1 cup water JAPANESE OMELETTE 2 eggs. beaten 2 tablespoons Dashi 1 tablespoon mirin 1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce

TOPPINGS 2 uncooked tiger prawn 1 fillet fresh tuna 1 fillet fresh sea brem 100g squid 2 teaspoons wasabi paste 2 shiso leaves 1 piece of nori seaweed sea salt TOSERVE Japanese soy sauce MAKES 8-10 PIECES

1 Mix the hand vinegar ingredients in a small bowl 2 Push a bamboo skewer through each prawn from top to tail to prevent curling while cooking. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes until lightly cooked and pink. Drain and cool under running water. Drain and discard the cocktail sticks, shells and back vein. Make a slit up the belly and open out. 3 Slice the tuna or salmon and sea bream into rectangular pieces, 7×3×1cm thick. Cut the squid into similar rectangular pieces, and make fine slits on one side of each piece to make the squid more tender. 4 Using the eggs, dashi, mirin and soy sauce, make an omelette/ omelet following the method on page 121. Put the rolled omelette on a sushi mat and tightly roll into flat rectangular shape. When cool, cut 2 rectangular pieces, 7×3×1cm thick. 5 If using wasabi powder, mix with 2 teaspoons water in an egg cup and stir well to make a clay-like consistency. Leave upside down to prevent drying. 6 Dip your hands in the hand vinegar mixture, take 1-2 tablespoons of the cookded rice in one hand and mould into a rectangular cylinder about 5×2×2cm. Put a tiny bit of wasabi on top and cover with an opened prawn. 7 Repeat, making 2 nigiri topped with prawns, 2 with tuna or salmon, 2 with sea bream, 2 with squid on top of a shiso leaf and 2 with omelette. When assembling the nigiri with omelette, do not add wasabi: instead, tie with a thin nori riboon, 5mm wide. 8 Arrange on a platter and serve with pickled ginger and Janpanese soy sauce in a small dish. Alternatively, serve as partly canapes or on small plates as part of a meal.