Hamptons Lane Sushi

sushi

A NOTE FROM THE CURATOR Konnichiwa Itamae (Hello Sushi Chef)!

Sushi is a simple meal of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients - often raw fish, vegetables, and fruits. Although here in the US we associate sushi with raw fish, the most essential ingredient is actually the rice, or shari. So don't be worried about making the perfect roll because as long as you have perfectly cooked shari, you have authentic sushi.

If you want to take it a step further (and I hope you do - it's fun and easier than you think!), make some maki and uramaki rolls with the freshest fish you can find and a variety of vegetables. It's true that making sushi requires precision, but try not to overthink it too much and have some fun making different rolls. The only rule you need to follow to a T is to keep your finger tips wet when handling the sushi rice. If you can do that, you can make sushi maki and uramaki rolls without a mess!

Happy Cooking!

Bamboo Rice Paddle (shamoji) from Hamptons Lane

A bamboo rice paddle is an essential tool for sushi rice. In order to help the rice vinegar penetrate the rice, use the paddle in a cutting motion to spread the rice as you are pouring the vinegar over it. Bamboo is preferable over all other types of spoons because it is gentle on rice cookers and doesn’t add a metallic taste to the rice.

Organic Kokuho Rose Sushi Rice from Koda Farms

Apart from a fresh cut of fish, the key to a great piece of sushi is the rice. Sushi is, after all, vinegar-seasoned rice with other ingredients. This organic, heirloom varietal is widely acclaimed for providing a subtly delicate flavor with a slightly sweet after-note. Simple to prepare, just cook and flavor with our Nishiki Rice Vinegar for perfectly seasoned and sticky sushi rice.

Bamboo Sushi Rolling Mat from Hamptons Lane

An indispensible tool for forming sushi rolls, this bamboo mat helps you to form perfectly round sushi rolls that stay stuck together. If you are trying to make uramaki sushi (inside out rolls), make sure you put your sushi mat in a plastic Ziploc bag so the rice doesn’t stick to the bamboo.

Water Tip Continuously dip your fingers in water while working with the sushi rice – it will keep it from sticking to you and making a mess!

Yaki Nori Roasted Seaweed

from Yamamotoyama These sheets of seaweed (or yaki nori as they are called in Japan) are not only used to bind the rice on the rolls, but also to provide a delicious flavor to each piece of sushi. Although they may feel stiff at first, the vinegar in your sushi rice helps to soften the seaweed so it become pliable.

Sushi Rolling Techniques

Uramaki Sushi (rice on outside)

Maki Sushi

(nori on outside) Cut your nori in half lengthwise and align it along the edge of your bamboo mat, rough side up.

Using wet fingers, gently press about 1/4 cup sushi rice (see recipe) along the nori until it forms an even surface. Place fillings (vegetables, fish, etc.) on top of the rice in a tight, even line in the middle of the rice. Use the mat to gently pick up the edge of the nori and rice that is closest to you and fold over your internal ingredients.

Continue to use the mat to roll the sushi away from you until the roll is sealed tightly.

First, make sure your bamboo mat is in a plastic bag. Cut your nori in half lengthwise and align it along the edge of your bamboo mat, rough side up. Using wet fingers, gently press about Âź1/4 cup sushi rice (see recipe) along the nori until it forms an even surface that is about 1 cm thick. Flip your roll over so the rice is touching the plastic. Place fillings (vegetables, fish, etc.) on the nori in a tight, even line in the middle (you can use more filling than you would for regular maki). Use the mat to gently pick up the edge of the nori and rice that is closest to you and fold over your internal ingredients. Continue to use the mat to roll the sushi away from you until the roll is sealed tightly.

Sushi Rice Recipe Yields 10-12 rolls

3 cups Kukoho Rose Sushi Rice 3 cups purified water, plus a bit more 1/2 cup Nishiki Rice Vinegar 2 tbsp sugar 2 tsp salt

Place sushi rice in a colander and rinse under cold running water, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes to rid the rice of its outside starches.

Next, transfer rice to a large pot with a lid and combine with 3 cups purified water, plus a bit more. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and allow water to simmer very gently.

After 5 minutes, check the rice to see if it needs more water. If the all the water has been absorbed, add a bit more water. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is no longer crispy. The best way to know is to taste-test.

Once the rice has completed cooking, transfer to a large plastic or wooden bowl. Allow the rice to sit, steaming off excess moisture, for 5 minutes. Once the rice has cooled, use your rice paddle to stir in the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Your rice is now ready for sushi rolls!

Sushi Rice Vinegar from Nishiki

This pure rice vinegar is delicately seasoned with sugar and sea salt.

Rice Vinegar is essential when making sushi as it seasons the rice and prepares it to adhere to the seaweed yaki nori wraps and fish.

Use this vinegar blend is also lovely in a dressing, marinade, or dipping sauce as it has a clean, smooth, and mild flavor.

Soy Sauce Etiquette Never douse your sushi in soy sauce – it is considered rude, like salting someone’s homemade cooking. When you want a bit of soy sauce flavor, gently dip your sushi in fish-side first. Try not to get the soy sauce on the rice – it means you think it was seasoned improperly!

Bluegrass Soy Sauce from Bourbon Barrel Foods

Bluegrass Soy Sauce is micro-brewed in small batches using only whole Kentucky grown non-GMO soybeans, soft red winter wheat, and the purest limestone filtered Kentucky spring water. They ferment and age the soybean mash in re-purposed bourbon barrels, giving the soy sauce it’s signature smoky flavor with hints of oak and a mild sweetness reminiscent of fine Kentucky bourbon. It’s a special soy sauce deserving of your specially made sushi.

Modern Manhattan Roll Caterpillar Roll

Shrimp Tempura Sushi

Japanese Soy Sauce Dishes

from Miya Company Designed and hand-crafted in Japan, these dishes measure 4 inches across and are slightly bowl-shaped – perfect for holding sushi or ginger or even other things like trinkets or soap. Mix and match patterns from Miya – a shop that imports the best of Japan into New York City. All dishes are microwave and dishwasher safe.

Dark Wood Chopsticks

from Miya Company

Yellowtail Avocado Roll

These beautiful dark wood (or tetsu moku) chopsticks measure 9” in length and are made inJapan. They are used to eat just about anything in Japanese cuisine, especially sushi. Place them between your pointer finger and thumb in your dominant hand and give them a try! Handwash only.

Salmon Roe Roll

Salmon Roe Sushi Sweet Potato Scallion Roll

Yellowtail Cucumber Roll

To make this sushi, pat a little less than ¼ cup sushi rice into a ½ inch high patty. Take a piece of nori that is 8”x1” and wrap it alongside the edge of the rice patty, rough side touching the rice, and nori sticking up about ½ inch over the patty. Fill the hole with salmon roe.

Fish Cutting Tip

To make sushi that rolls up and fits perfectly, it’s important to prep your fish and other ingredients properly. We recommend cutting fish into pieces that are 4 inches long and 1/4 inch thick for regular maki rolls like these (for inside out rolls, cut your fish a bit thicker, about 1/2 inch). For other fillings, like cucumber, cut the vegetables as thinly as you can, and about 4 inches long.

Organic Pickled Sushi Ginger

from The Ginger People Discriminating sushi chefs will tell you that this product from the Ginger People is the purest sushi ginger around. It contains none of those nasty, artificial dyes or preservatives, and – even better – it is organic! Enjoyed alongside sushi as a palate-cleanser, ginger also has a host of health benefits. Ginger has a long history of relieving digestive issues, so it is wonderful to enjoy in-between each of your sushi courses.

Shrimp Tempura Uramaki Roll

Makes 2 rolls

For tempura: 1/2 cup AP Flour 1/2 cup White Rice Flour 2 1/2 cups vegetable oil 1 egg, beaten 3/4 cup cold seltzer water 1/4 cup water 6 cleaned & deveined medium sized shrimp For roll: 3 tbsp sesame seeds 1/2 cup cooked sushi rice 1 full sheet of nori, cut in half lengthwise 6-8 thin slices of avocado 6-8 thin cuts of cucumber

In a medium sized bowl whisk together flours. Add the vegetable oil to a large pot or saucepan and heat uncovered until it reaches 375 F on a deep fry thermometer, roughly five minutes.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg, seltzer water, and water. Transfer this mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine for 10-15 seconds, whisking lightly.

Dip the shrimp into the batter and transfer to the oil with a pair of tongs. Making sure to not crowd the pot, deep fry each item until golden and crispy, about five minutes. Once the shrimp are golden, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

To make a roll, pat half the rice on a nori sheet, then flip over onto a bamboo sushi mat in a plastic bag, rice touching plastic. Align half the avocado and half the cucumber in the center of the nori. Assemble the shrimp on top of the veggies – one tail sticking out on either end, taking care to make the shrimp as straight as possible. You will likely need to cut another piece of shrimp to fill the gap in the middle. Roll up the roll, then roll it in sesame seeds, slice and serve. Repeat on the second roll.

Be sure to chill the batter - bowl of batter over a bowl of ice – the contrast of temperatures between the batter and the oil is what yields a crispy and puffy crust.