How to Make Sushi
Try something new for your weekly date night and opt to stay in for sushi. And we’re not talking about that takeout place around the corner. Sushi may seem like a daunting meal to do on your own but with the right techniques and ingredients, you can easily make your own delicious maki. All you need is seaweed, sushi rice and your choice of delicious fillings ranging from fresh salmon, tuna, shrimp, crab, eel and fish eggs to a wide range of vegetables like avocado, carrot, cucumber, sweet potato, kimchi and so many more. Your appetite is the limit with this one!
Learn cooking online with Chef Thomas, as he takes you through everything you need to know to make your own sushi like how to spot the freshest fish, make your own sushi rice and the best techniques to get the different traditional styles like gunkan, maki and nigiri.
Sushi Nigiri
1 lb ahi tuna, sushi grade (sliced 2 inch long & 1/8 inch thick)
1 lb salmon (sliced 2 inch long & 1/8 inch thick)
1 lb shrimp, about 21-25 (skewered, boiled, shocked, cleaned)
4 oz pickled ginger
2 oz wasabi powder
5-6 skewers (for shrimp)
Soy sauce (optional)
1. Skewer through shrimp top to tail to keep from curling during cooking. Blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until light pink and cooked. Shock in ice bath. Remove from skewers. Peel and devein from belly side of shrimp. Cut slit lengthwise and open to expose and remove vein.
2. With wet hands, scoop 1.5 tablespoons of sushi rice into the palm of your hand. Gently mold into a rectangular block but do not squash the rice. Dab a little wasabi paste on the rice.
3. Take a piece of fish or shrimp and top the sushi rice as your press it into place using your index and middle finger.
4. Arrange on a plate and garnish with picked ginger and wasabi. Serve with a side of soy sauce.
Sushi Maki
4 English cucumbers (cut julienne)
6 avocado (sliced)
2 oz sesame seeds
4 oz tobiko
6 oz crabstick
1 package of Nori sheets
4 oz picked ginger
2 oz wasabi powder
Soy sauce (optional)
1. Place shiny side of nori sheet down onto sushi meat.
2. Gently spread sushi rice evenly over the nori, leaving a ½ inch margin on the side furthest from you. Run a little wasabi paste down the horizontal center of the rice.
3. Place filling horizontally over rice.
4. Roll the sushi mat from the side closest to you over the filling and give it a soft squeeze to tighten everything inside. Lift the top edge of the mat and continue rolling towards the other end of the nori.
5. Cut in half, then each half into 3 pieces. Arrange on plate and garnish with pickled ginger and wasabi. Serve with a side of soy sauce.
Sushi Rice
3 cups sushi rice
3 ¼ cups water
1 cup sushi vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1. Rinse the rice in strainer or colander until the water runs clear. Combine with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice stand for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make sushi vinegar. Dissolve sugar, salt and rice vinegar. Mixture should taste sweet and sour with a hint of saltiness.
3. Transfer rice to a large bowl. Pour ½ cup of sushi vinegar over rice and combine gently. “Cut” into the rice using a rubber spatula. Do not stir or overwork rice. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to use.
