Make Your Own Sushi

The Sushi Revolution

Sushi burst on the scene in the 80s as the "hottest" culinary sensation. However, this was not just a fad; two decades later, sushi appears in restaurants, take-outs and even grocery stores in the largest metropolitan areas and  the most remote towns.

The appeal of sushi was immediate and lasting becasuse it combined an exotic food style, unfamiliar to most Westerners, with health-conscious eating; sushi is extremely low in fat, contains very few calories, and fulfills directives given by many doctors to include more fish in one’s diet. Sushi is the ultimate "fun food" and is great both as an appetizer or as a main course when served with miso soup, salad, and hot or cold sake, Japanese rice wine.

The advantages of Making your own Sushi

In spite of enjoying widespread popularity for many years, sushi still has its skeptics. Two main reasons people give for avoiding sushi are the prohibitive cost of sushi in most restaurants and the queasiness at the thought of eating raw fish. Both of these obstacles can be removed if one makes one's own sushi. The reason for the high price of sushi when eating out is that the customer is paying partly for skill, presentation, and aesthetics. Your first attempt at sushi might not make for a plate fit for the cover of a magazine, but if sushi-making is adopted as a hobby, it can be fulfilling to measure your gradual improvement, and after all, you can eat your mistakes.

For people who are nervous about the health risks involved in eating raw fish, selecting their own fish might give them some peace of mind over relying on the restaurant to make decisions affecting their health. For people who are interested in eating sushi, but can’t quite digest the idea of eating raw fish, even if it is safe, experimenting at home is a perfect way of making sushi that fits your comfort level. One sushi maker claims that his Japanese friends can’t get enough of his spam rolls, while sardine rolls or vegetarian rolls are a good choice for other sushi lovers. Who knows? Maybe you can create your own combination that is only available in your home.

Selecting the Fish

There are two main concerns when buying fish for sushi: germs and parasites. The latter can be easily dealt with by avoiding all freshwater fish and purchasing only saltwater fish. Unfortunately, the freshwater varieties include salmon, a very popular fish for sushi. Many who prefer not to take the chance, but who love the taste of salmon, can use smoked salmon as an alternative. Freezing also kills most of the parasites in fish, although this means sacrificing some  freshness, but usually not so much that can be detected by the palate. Putting the fish for a few seconds in a steamer kills both parasites and bacteria, but it takes some skill to steam the fish just long enough that the microbes are destroyed but not so long that it becomes cooked and loses its delicate flavor. Many are happy using other smoked fish such as herring or mackerel, which usually have an oiler, fisher taste, but which many people find appealing.

If you are going to opt for using raw fish, it is very important to select the freshest fish possible. Pregnant women are cautioned against eating raw fish, but for most healthy adults, raw fish poses no risk as long as it is fresh. There are many Asian markets which display live fish in tanks and kill them on the spot so their freshness is guaranteed. If you do not live close to such a market, you can tell that a fish is fresh by inspecting its eyes and scales, which should be clear and bright. The gills must be red  (not brown) and the flesh should be shiny, wet, and firm and (not dry or pulpy). A good fish should smell of the sea and should not give off a pungent, unpleasant odor.

Buying fish fillets poses more of a risk, but there are still ways to determine the freshness of the fish fillets. Make sure that they are very wet and not beginning to show ridges. Some unscrupulous fishmongers might try to wet down the fish fillets to make them appear fresh, but this does not usually hide the fact that a fillet is flaking and losing its smooth texture.

When you bring the fish home, use it as soon as possible. Wash it well under cold water and cover it with plastic wrap. Keep it in the refrigerator at all times, even if you are leaving it for 5 or 10 minutes.

Varieties of Fish

Almost any type of fish can be used for sushi, and as mentioned before, experimenting is usually half the fun. In addition to salmon (Sake) a sushi favorite raw, smoked or grilled is tuna (Maguro), an ideal fish for sushi. Its red color and robust flavor stands up well to wasabi. A fancier variety of tuna is Toro, which is actually the belly of the tuna, and is a more expensive than plain tuna. Another traditional sushi fish is Suzuki, of which there is no Western equivalent, but its mild flavor and flaky texture can best be imitated by Sea Bass. Katsuo or Bonito is a beautiful red fish and has a strong flavor to match its striking color. Saba  ( mackerel) is not for everyone as it has the reputation for being somewhat fishy and oily, but it is quite good if it is marinated in soy sauce. Uni (Sea Urchin Roe) actually contains the gonads of the fish. It has a salty and nutty flavor but is really roe. There are many kinds of roe, including those famous orange and red balls seen atop many sushi rolls.

Slicing the Fish

The art of sushi making depends on how well the fish is sliced. The thinner the slices are, the better, and slicing the pieces of fish perfectly is the most painstaking part of the sushi making process, and the skill that requires the most practice. Obviously, finding a razor sharp knife is important; the best is a bento knife, a Japanese knife specially designed for slicing sushi. The slicing should be done on top of a thick, wooden cutting board to protect your kitchen counter.

To cut the fish, you need only a light, dragging motion, and the weight of the knife will take care of the rest. For most types of sushi, you will need fillets ¾" wide, 2" long and 1/8" deep.

Preparing the Rice

Rice, or goshan, is the quintessential Japanese food and is served at almost every meal, including breakfast. The staple was considered such an important commodity that samurai warriors were paid in rice. Good sushi depends on perfectly cooked rice, just as it depends on well-sliced fish. Rice that is undercooked cannot be spread very easily on the bamboo pad (the nori). Rice that is overcooked it is too mushy to keep its shape and creates a messy roll. If you want to ensure that your sushi rice is perfectly done every time, you might want to invest in a rice cooker, which is used in almost every Japanese home. The directions for making rice are included with your machine.

When making rice for sushi, make sure you use the Japanese short-grained sushi rice that is sticky in texture when finished. While experimenting with varieties of fish is encouraged, this should be the only rice you use for sushi.

If you prefer to cook the rice by hand, rinse it several times until the water no longer has a milky appearance. A good rule of thumb is to use one part rice and three parts water. Put the rice and the water in a pan and cover it until it reaches a boil. Lower the flame and cook it on low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid frequently. After the liquid is cooked out, but it is not dry, take it off the fire and let it stand covered for another ten minutes. Meanwhile, you need to prepare the sauce for the rice. For every cup of rice, you will need 1/8 cup Japanese rice vinegar (again, do not substitute this vinegar for another variety), 1 tb sugar, and 1 tsp salt. When the rice is cooled, mix this sauce into the rice. Now you are ready to make your sushi.

Basic Nigrisushi

The best sushi for a beginner to attempt is nigrisushi, which means "made in the hand". First, moisten your hands and form a little ball of rice in your palms. The fish should already be sliced into small pieces no thicker than 1/8 of an inch. Put a tiny smear of wasabi (green Japanese horseradish paste) one side of the fish (make sure it is not more than a smear—wasabi is very strong). Take the rice ball and press the fish, wasabi side down, onto the rice, curving the fish around the rice. Flatten the fish and the rice together gently.

California Roll

This is the first roll many sushi lovers eat, so perhaps it is a good first roll to make. Once you have mastered one type of roll, you can try many others. Tuna and cucumber is quite good, or you can experiment with a wide variety of fish and vegetables.

A California roll consists of avocado, cucumber and imitation crab meat. You will need a bamboo mat for rolling the sushi, sheets of nori (seaweed), and plastic wrap to place between the nori and the surface of the bamboo mat. Spread some rice so that it makes a thin covering on the nori sheet which should be lying on the plastic wrap and the bamboo mat. Leave an inch of nori uncovered on one side. Don’t pack the rice; spreading the rice too thick is a common mistake in making sushi. The rice layer should be no more than ¼" thick, and the nori should be visible through the layer of rice. Place avocado slices on top of the rice, close to the edge which is on the opposite side of the uncovered nori. Next place thin slices of crabmeat on top of the avocado slices, followed by the cucumber. Fold the mat over the slices and tuck in the end of the nori until it is attached. Roll until you reach the end, occasionally lifting to check that the nori is being rolled properly and pressing it, if needed. Cut into 6-8 pieces, moistening your very sharp knife after each cut.

Futo Maki

By now, you may be quite experienced with rolling, and want to try something more challenging (or filling, since Futo Maki means "fat roll"). Futo maki contains 6-8 ingredients including kampyo (gourd), oboro (pink powder), tomago (omelet)shittake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, cucumbers, carrots, your fish of choice and greens. The nori sheet needs to be cut in half, then in quarters. The quarter sheet should be pasted on the half sheet to make the half sheet as wide as normal but 1 ½ times as long. Roll the Futo maki as you would any other roll, by spreading rice thinly on the nori. Make sure all the ingredients are cut in thin slices and neatly arranged. The Futo Maki is more of a challenge to roll, but it means making less sushi, because it is more filling.

Serving Sushi

As you may have noticed in Japanese restaurants, aesthetics is every bit as important as taste, so a beautiful presentation is just as essential as creating tasty sushi. For some reason, sushi seems to taste better when served on traditional sushi plates, so it is worth investing in these. Sushi is usually served with a dollop of wasabi and a small bowl of soy sauce for dipping. Pickled ginger is a popular accompaniment, but Japanese use it for clearing the palate between sushi varieties rather than as a condiment. Miso soup, made from soy paste, is a popular starter, and many people enjoy sushi with rice wine, served warm or cold. Green tea is also a popular beverage and is usually drunk out of colorful, earthenware mugs without handles. Once you are used to making and serving sushi, it is likely to become not just a familiar meal, but a weekly event.