Introduction
Sushi, perhaps the most popular dish originating from Japan, is really more of a category of dishes than a single dish. Sushi, in its broadest definition, can be prepared in a wide variety of ways, but we will be focusing on nigiri sushi (or simply nigirizushi), which is essentially sushi rice with some sort of topping. Note that the term sushi is actually referring to the rice, not to the toppings (which, while often are seafood, do not have to be). Thus, we will be covering here how to make sushi rice (as it is in fact different from regular rice), as well as the basic for making nigiri using this rice.
Make this dish when…
Sushi, in its origins, was finger food. By that nature, sushi makes great hors d'oeuvres, especially with their subtle and elegant taste. However, sushi can of course act as a main course as well, but you will need to be producing much more. Note that sushi is best served fresh though, so you won’t have the opportunity to prepare it much in advance, and it cannot be refrigerated. The rice preparation, depending on your method, can take up to an hour, with the sushi preparation taking perhaps a few minutes per-piece after that. Thus, this dish isn’t the best if you are in a hurry, but if you have about an hour and a half of time before a party starts, you’ll be fine.
Don’t make this dish when…
Again, this dish is not good if you are in a hurry. However, I would not recommend preparing this dish for people who have not tried sushi before (unless they’re interested in trying it), or those who are squeamish about texture or raw meat (fish). Also, if you don’t have access to higher quality ingredients, don’t bother trying to make this dish: this dish derives its flavor from almost nothing but its ingredients; there is not cooking process or special sauce to cover up the taste of bad ingredients. If you do try to blot out bad ingredients with some powerful sauce, you’ll be completely defeating the purpose of sushi.
Statistics
Dish Type: Appetizer or Main Course
Health Value: Generally speaking, pretty healthy. The rice itself is little different regular rice in terms of healthiness, and typical “toppings” are usually fairly healthy as well
Serving Size: This recipe makes 4 cups of cooked rice; depending on how you distribute it, said 4 cups can make enough nigiri rice cakes to hold a lot of toppings (at least 20 pieces usually)
Preparation Difficulty: Fairly easy, once you get the hang of it
Preparation Time: 1:30 minutes, depending on how fast your rice cooks and how quickly you prepare your pieces
Shelf-Life: Realistically, at most 30 minutes. Fish and rice start to oxidize and develop a sort of “skin” after just a small amount of time, and while the food will be edible once it’s develop said skin, it’s just not the same
Freshness Requirements: Cannot be refrigerated: make how much you want, exactly when you want it; early preparation and storage (or left-overs) are not really an option
Vegetarian/Vegan Concerns: While a lot of the toppings for this dish traditionally involve fish and other sea critters (usually raw), technically speaking sushi can be topped with anything, but I can’t guarantee how well it will all work together
Pre-cooked Edibility: As far as the rice, well, it will be uncooked rice, which is really crunchy. Uncooked fish, on the other hand, is simply referred to as sashimi as a dish, and is still quite delicious. Any pieces of unused fish I highly recommend turning into a little side of sashimi for the chef, or if you have a lot, could even be turned into a poke (pronounced p-oh-key), but that’s another recipe.
2/14/09
Nigiri Sushi (continued)
What You Need
Ingredients
1. 2 cups of short-grain rice (it MUST be short-grain; traditional Japanese short-grain rice isn’t exported as I have been told, but California grows some good equivalents that will work just fine)
2. 2 cups of water
3. 2 Tbsp of Rice Vinegar (also referred to as Rice Wine Vinegar or Sushi Seasoning)
4. 2 Tbsp of Sugar (what kind doesn’t really matter, just not brown sugar)
5. 1 Tbsp of Salt (you can use less, depending on how “sour” you want your rice)
6. Topping(s)
7. Wasabi (optional)
Equipment
1. Rice Cooker (I refuse to cook rice any other way; preferably a device with “Fuzzy” logic)
2. Measuring cup
3. Measuring Spoons
4. Cutting Board
5. Sharp Knife
6. Large wooden bowl (un-lacquered is preferable; if you can’t do wood, then glass is your next best choice, followed by thick plastic, then ceramic/earthenware, then thin plastic, then metal. You want to reduce the dissipation of heat as much as possible)
7. Paper Plate
8. Rubber Spatula
9. Kitchen Cloth (a hand towel)
10. Small Bowl
A Few Questions Before We Begin…
What topping do you want? There are many topping possibilities for sushi; the most common are raw fish and other seafood, but many other options are available. Traditionally, even cooked eggs (in a sort of mini-omelets) are used, but you can use cooked food if you like, or fruits and vegetables even. You could even just slap on a glob of some kind of paste, but whatever you pick, just keep in mind how it will work with the rice. Also note that traditionally sushi is eaten with soy sauce for dipping, but if you your particular topping would not benefit from such a salty dip, then by all means skip the soy.
Wasabi? As I understand it, wasabi was traditionally part of the sushi recipe, but traditional wasabi is very different from the spicy green paste many of us are familiar with today. Accordingly, real wasabi, which comes from a specific root that has rather picky growing requirements, is more on the sweet end, just a little kick to it. Thus, the reason I question the use of “modern” wasabi is that I find its blaring flavor to be in serious contradiction with the other subtleties that make much of sushi. If you are a fan of spicy wasabi, then by all means go for it, but if you aim for the more subtle, smooth textures and flavors of sushi, then I recommend that you use it in very light amounts, or not at all. While wasabi can be used as a useful bonding agent between a wet topping and wet rice (wet and wet don’t stick so well), use too much and you may very well ruin the sushi. I haven’t explored alternate means for improving the bond, but I will let you know if I come up with anything useful.
Ingredients
1. 2 cups of short-grain rice (it MUST be short-grain; traditional Japanese short-grain rice isn’t exported as I have been told, but California grows some good equivalents that will work just fine)
2. 2 cups of water
3. 2 Tbsp of Rice Vinegar (also referred to as Rice Wine Vinegar or Sushi Seasoning)
4. 2 Tbsp of Sugar (what kind doesn’t really matter, just not brown sugar)
5. 1 Tbsp of Salt (you can use less, depending on how “sour” you want your rice)
6. Topping(s)
7. Wasabi (optional)
Equipment
1. Rice Cooker (I refuse to cook rice any other way; preferably a device with “Fuzzy” logic)
2. Measuring cup
3. Measuring Spoons
4. Cutting Board
5. Sharp Knife
6. Large wooden bowl (un-lacquered is preferable; if you can’t do wood, then glass is your next best choice, followed by thick plastic, then ceramic/earthenware, then thin plastic, then metal. You want to reduce the dissipation of heat as much as possible)
7. Paper Plate
8. Rubber Spatula
9. Kitchen Cloth (a hand towel)
10. Small Bowl
A Few Questions Before We Begin…
What topping do you want? There are many topping possibilities for sushi; the most common are raw fish and other seafood, but many other options are available. Traditionally, even cooked eggs (in a sort of mini-omelets) are used, but you can use cooked food if you like, or fruits and vegetables even. You could even just slap on a glob of some kind of paste, but whatever you pick, just keep in mind how it will work with the rice. Also note that traditionally sushi is eaten with soy sauce for dipping, but if you your particular topping would not benefit from such a salty dip, then by all means skip the soy.
Wasabi? As I understand it, wasabi was traditionally part of the sushi recipe, but traditional wasabi is very different from the spicy green paste many of us are familiar with today. Accordingly, real wasabi, which comes from a specific root that has rather picky growing requirements, is more on the sweet end, just a little kick to it. Thus, the reason I question the use of “modern” wasabi is that I find its blaring flavor to be in serious contradiction with the other subtleties that make much of sushi. If you are a fan of spicy wasabi, then by all means go for it, but if you aim for the more subtle, smooth textures and flavors of sushi, then I recommend that you use it in very light amounts, or not at all. While wasabi can be used as a useful bonding agent between a wet topping and wet rice (wet and wet don’t stick so well), use too much and you may very well ruin the sushi. I haven’t explored alternate means for improving the bond, but I will let you know if I come up with anything useful.
Nigiri Sushi (continued)
Now On To Business
WARNING: Read through this recipe at least once before cooking!
Now, as briefly noted in the Equipment section above, I will be using a rice-cooker to prepare my rice. Why? Well, the short answer is that I have had poor luck using just a pot ad stove (it has trouble cooking evenly), and rice from a rice cooker is some of the best I have ever had. If you plan on cooking rice fairly often, a rice cooker can be a very sound investment. I personally recommend going the extra distance and buying a more expensive model that features “Fuzzy” logic; how exactly it works, I am not sure, but it has never ever burned my rice. Models from Japan, in my experience, work out quite nicely. So, in order to prepare your rice, use your rice cooker and follow its instruction, or if you don’t have one, I’m sorry but you’re going to have to find rice cooking instructions elsewhere, because I won’t include here a method that I can’t guarantee will produce good rice.
Get It All Ready
Sadly, when it comes to sushi, pre-game preparation is actually something you don’t want to do. Practically all of the ingredients involved in sushi need to be cut, prepared, etc. only moments before use, otherwise you will have problems. So go ahead and start your rice, get out your rice wine, sugar and salt (maybe even combine the two dry ingredients together in the measuring cup), and be ready to bide your time until the rice is done. If you are using a “Fuzzy” logic rice cooker, it may not immediately tell you how much time is remaining for cooking; it will probably only provide a countdown once it reaches its final cooking cycle. Only once you have only a few minutes left until rice is done, then you want to move into action. You should however get out all of the equipment have it ready (the knife goes with the cutting board, and the rubber spatula and paper plate go with the wooden bowl).
When the Rice Has Just a Few Minutes Left
With just two or three minutes left for your rice to finish, combine the sugar, salt, and rice vinegar (yes, I know it has an extremely pungent odor, but it will fade added to the rice) into the measuring cup, and perhaps give it a little bit of a stir. Microwave this mixture on high for 2 minutes. This will allow the solids to better combine with the liquid. However, they will not completely combine; do not worry, the moisture in the rice will make up the difference. Once this is done microwaving, take it out and have it ready to add to the rice.
When the Rice is Done
Once the rice has finished, immediately transfer it to the wooden bowl, and then poor the rice vinegar concoction on top. Use the rubber spatula to scrape as much of the solids as you can (if there is any stuck inside the measuring cup). With all “syrup” added, use one hand and the rubber spatula to “cut” and “fold” the mixture together. Think of it as if you are using the spatula to slice the rice, and slide the spatula underneath the rice and fold it over on top of itself. This will evenly distribute the syrup without damaging the rice. Stirring will damage to the rice, so don’t do it! In general, be gentle.
While doing all of this, your other hand should have the paper plate, and be using it to fan the rice. If you have an assistant, this is where they could be very helpful of course. The point of doing this is to have the rice cool quickly but evenly, resulting in just the right amount of stickiness, and proper bonding of the syrup to the rice.
Once the ingredients are thoroughly combined and at room temperature, stop fanning, and cover the top of the wooden bowl with a wet kitchen cloth. This will prevent the rice of developing that skin I talked about earlier. Throughout the entire process, you want to keep this cover on the rice. When you later take rice out of the bowl, remove the cover only enough to get your rice, and re-cover it. Also, make sure that the cloth is not so wet that it will drip on the rice, ruining it.
Making Nigiri
Making nigiri is a fairly simple process. Get your small bowl partially filled with water, just enough to give your hands a light soak, and then get out your toppings. If you are dealing with fish, I recommend using plastic wrap to cover all of the fish except the portion you are immediately cutting. Then, you should recover the fish (this is again to prevent the development of a “skin”). Once you have everything ready, here what to do:
1. Cut yourself a piece of topping, to go on just a single piece of nigiri.
2. Wet one hand (using the small bowl of water) and grab a small handful of rice, however much you want to use to compose a single “cake” (which you will put your single piece of topping on top of).
3. With the rice in hand, gently squeeze it to compact it into a sort of long, oval shape. Relax your hand. If the rice is falling apart, give it another squeeze, just ever-so-slightly tighter this time, hold it a little longer this time, and then relax again. You do NOT want to smoosh the rice together, just to stick well enough.
If you are going to put wasabi in your nigiri, add it to the “top” (the part sticking up if you are holding your hand out flat) of the rice cake now.
4. Place your piece of topping onto the top of the rice cake, press it on gently, and then plate/serve.
Now just repeat these steps until you’re out of toppings or out of rice (or both), and don’t be afraid to try using different shapes if you like, depending on what ratio you want between topping and rice. Now just enjoy!
Topping Cutting Tips
When cutting your topping(s) for nigiri, you typically want to do thin, roughly rectangular slices, so that the topping will fit nice and evenly along the top of the rice. When cutting fish, you want to cut it “against the grain” (many types of fish meat have a visible “grain,” or essentially lines of fat). So, if the lines of fat are running in one direction, you want to cut in the opposite direction. This will allow the fix to nearly fall apart in your mouth, instead of being a slab of meat lined with fat (making for a very chewy experience). Beyond that, just keep in mind the ratio of topping to rice and adjust to what you think (or discover) works well.
WARNING: Read through this recipe at least once before cooking!
Now, as briefly noted in the Equipment section above, I will be using a rice-cooker to prepare my rice. Why? Well, the short answer is that I have had poor luck using just a pot ad stove (it has trouble cooking evenly), and rice from a rice cooker is some of the best I have ever had. If you plan on cooking rice fairly often, a rice cooker can be a very sound investment. I personally recommend going the extra distance and buying a more expensive model that features “Fuzzy” logic; how exactly it works, I am not sure, but it has never ever burned my rice. Models from Japan, in my experience, work out quite nicely. So, in order to prepare your rice, use your rice cooker and follow its instruction, or if you don’t have one, I’m sorry but you’re going to have to find rice cooking instructions elsewhere, because I won’t include here a method that I can’t guarantee will produce good rice.
Get It All Ready
Sadly, when it comes to sushi, pre-game preparation is actually something you don’t want to do. Practically all of the ingredients involved in sushi need to be cut, prepared, etc. only moments before use, otherwise you will have problems. So go ahead and start your rice, get out your rice wine, sugar and salt (maybe even combine the two dry ingredients together in the measuring cup), and be ready to bide your time until the rice is done. If you are using a “Fuzzy” logic rice cooker, it may not immediately tell you how much time is remaining for cooking; it will probably only provide a countdown once it reaches its final cooking cycle. Only once you have only a few minutes left until rice is done, then you want to move into action. You should however get out all of the equipment have it ready (the knife goes with the cutting board, and the rubber spatula and paper plate go with the wooden bowl).
When the Rice Has Just a Few Minutes Left
With just two or three minutes left for your rice to finish, combine the sugar, salt, and rice vinegar (yes, I know it has an extremely pungent odor, but it will fade added to the rice) into the measuring cup, and perhaps give it a little bit of a stir. Microwave this mixture on high for 2 minutes. This will allow the solids to better combine with the liquid. However, they will not completely combine; do not worry, the moisture in the rice will make up the difference. Once this is done microwaving, take it out and have it ready to add to the rice.
When the Rice is Done
Once the rice has finished, immediately transfer it to the wooden bowl, and then poor the rice vinegar concoction on top. Use the rubber spatula to scrape as much of the solids as you can (if there is any stuck inside the measuring cup). With all “syrup” added, use one hand and the rubber spatula to “cut” and “fold” the mixture together. Think of it as if you are using the spatula to slice the rice, and slide the spatula underneath the rice and fold it over on top of itself. This will evenly distribute the syrup without damaging the rice. Stirring will damage to the rice, so don’t do it! In general, be gentle.
While doing all of this, your other hand should have the paper plate, and be using it to fan the rice. If you have an assistant, this is where they could be very helpful of course. The point of doing this is to have the rice cool quickly but evenly, resulting in just the right amount of stickiness, and proper bonding of the syrup to the rice.
Once the ingredients are thoroughly combined and at room temperature, stop fanning, and cover the top of the wooden bowl with a wet kitchen cloth. This will prevent the rice of developing that skin I talked about earlier. Throughout the entire process, you want to keep this cover on the rice. When you later take rice out of the bowl, remove the cover only enough to get your rice, and re-cover it. Also, make sure that the cloth is not so wet that it will drip on the rice, ruining it.
Making Nigiri
Making nigiri is a fairly simple process. Get your small bowl partially filled with water, just enough to give your hands a light soak, and then get out your toppings. If you are dealing with fish, I recommend using plastic wrap to cover all of the fish except the portion you are immediately cutting. Then, you should recover the fish (this is again to prevent the development of a “skin”). Once you have everything ready, here what to do:
1. Cut yourself a piece of topping, to go on just a single piece of nigiri.
2. Wet one hand (using the small bowl of water) and grab a small handful of rice, however much you want to use to compose a single “cake” (which you will put your single piece of topping on top of).
3. With the rice in hand, gently squeeze it to compact it into a sort of long, oval shape. Relax your hand. If the rice is falling apart, give it another squeeze, just ever-so-slightly tighter this time, hold it a little longer this time, and then relax again. You do NOT want to smoosh the rice together, just to stick well enough.
If you are going to put wasabi in your nigiri, add it to the “top” (the part sticking up if you are holding your hand out flat) of the rice cake now.
4. Place your piece of topping onto the top of the rice cake, press it on gently, and then plate/serve.
Now just repeat these steps until you’re out of toppings or out of rice (or both), and don’t be afraid to try using different shapes if you like, depending on what ratio you want between topping and rice. Now just enjoy!
Topping Cutting Tips
When cutting your topping(s) for nigiri, you typically want to do thin, roughly rectangular slices, so that the topping will fit nice and evenly along the top of the rice. When cutting fish, you want to cut it “against the grain” (many types of fish meat have a visible “grain,” or essentially lines of fat). So, if the lines of fat are running in one direction, you want to cut in the opposite direction. This will allow the fix to nearly fall apart in your mouth, instead of being a slab of meat lined with fat (making for a very chewy experience). Beyond that, just keep in mind the ratio of topping to rice and adjust to what you think (or discover) works well.
Nigiri Sushi (continued)
The Recipe In Short
WARNING: Only use this if you have: read and understand the above complete recipe, have prepared this dish before, or really know what you’re doing.
1. Cook rice.
2. As rice finishes, prepare syrup.
3. Add syrup to rice, fanning rice during entire process.
4. Form cooled rice into rice cakes, and apply topping(s).
5. Enjoy!
WARNING: Only use this if you have: read and understand the above complete recipe, have prepared this dish before, or really know what you’re doing.
1. Cook rice.
2. As rice finishes, prepare syrup.
3. Add syrup to rice, fanning rice during entire process.
4. Form cooled rice into rice cakes, and apply topping(s).
5. Enjoy!
Nigiri Sushi (continued)
Cleanup Tips
This stuff can get pretty sticky. It might help to let the bowl soak for a bit once before trying to get everything out, but beyond that, there is nothing that requires particularly difficult cleanup.
Other Possibilities/Recipe Variations
The above covers the basics for how make your own variations, but suffice to say anything that you think would be good with rice would probably work as a decent topping. While things like cooked beef or a strawberry are not necessarily traditional, they can certainly make for interesting contrasts. Be creative, try different things, you might end up with something you really like that is a creation all of your own.
This stuff can get pretty sticky. It might help to let the bowl soak for a bit once before trying to get everything out, but beyond that, there is nothing that requires particularly difficult cleanup.
Other Possibilities/Recipe Variations
The above covers the basics for how make your own variations, but suffice to say anything that you think would be good with rice would probably work as a decent topping. While things like cooked beef or a strawberry are not necessarily traditional, they can certainly make for interesting contrasts. Be creative, try different things, you might end up with something you really like that is a creation all of your own.
Nigiri Sushi (continued)
Credits and Acknowledgements
• To my Dad, for teaching me to cook in the first place, and for the use of your kitchen and all of its tools/appliances, and loaning me the camera.
• To Lindsey, for all your help taking pictures and being so enthusiastic about the process.
• To my Dad, for teaching me to cook in the first place, and for the use of your kitchen and all of its tools/appliances, and loaning me the camera.
• To Lindsey, for all your help taking pictures and being so enthusiastic about the process.
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