I'm relatively new to the cooking gig. As a result, most of the dishes I attempt are closely based off of recipes, mainly from the chefs that inspired me to start cooking - Jamie Oliver, Curtis Stone and Gordon Ramsay. Sushi is different for me. It is a food that started enticing me 8 years ago when I lived in San Francisco, and is one of the few cuisines that I am now confident fully improvising.
When I travel, I usually search out the best sushi restaurant I can find in the area (more about that in future posts). So I've spent time watching sushi chefs, researching the techniques and reading books. Once you become familiar with the basics, sushi is an amazing (not to mention delicious) way to express yourself in food. It is art and fine food all in one. This is my guide to making great sushi yourself at home.
When I talk to my uninitiated friends about sushi, surprisingly it is more often the taste or the texture of the nori (the seaweed used in maki, or sushi rolls) than the raw fish that is a barrier to enjoyment. When you buy sushi from vendors in the mall or from the sushi stations in the grocery stores it is often regular maki with the nori on the outside. Regardless of how you feel about the taste or texture of seaweed, the regular nori-on-the-outside, rice-on-the-inside rolls (or "outside in" roll) are the simplest way to start making your own sushi rolls.
Step 1 - The Sushi Rice
The quintessential ingredient in any sushi is the sushi rice, or sticky rice. You can buy sushi rice in most grocery stores; check near the sushi station if yours has one. Just make sure you don't pick up your sushi there! Try making your own at home, you won't regret it.
The sushi rice is simple to make - just start by following the instructions on the package. The Kokuho Rose rice that I use calls for 1 cup of rice and 1 1/4 cup of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes.
The key to the sticky rice is in what you do next. Mix together 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar (also available by the sushi station) and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. I usually combine this into the rice while the rice is still warm. If you are going to be making sushi for a crowd you can double or triple the sushi recipe; just do the same with the rice wine vinegar and sugar mixture.
The rice should be close to room temperature before you begin making rolls, so I suggest making it at least a few hours before you want to starting rolling, cover it in a damp dish towel and leave it out.
Step 2 - The Wrapper
Once your rice is cooled down it's time to create a roll! Aside from the rice, the other tools you'll need for making sushi rolls are a sushi mat, the nori and a bowl of water.
Place a full sheet of the nori on top of the sushi mat. Water will be your friend as you roll the sushi, so make sure the mat is a little damp, and also wet your fingertips before you grab the rice.
With both hands place some rice onto the nori and spread it out. You want to cover the entire nori, except the long edge furthest from you, with an even layer of rice, about 1/4 inch thick. Leave about 1/2 inch of the far long edge clear, because you will use this to adhere the roll at the end.
Step 3 - The Filling
The rest is all up to you. I usually prepare a variety of ingredients beforehand - sliced cucumber (no seeds), scallion, red pepper, avacado, Japanese egg and raw jalapeno.
You can also use grated carrot, blanched asparagus, cream cheese (for Philadelphia rolls), or whatever else you want. Play with taste combinations and different textures and create your own roll.
You can create a vegetarian roll using any combination of the ingredients above. Or add imitation crab stick to make a California Roll.
If you are ready for it then add your raw fish at this stage. The most important point about the fish is making sure you get sashimi-grade cuts at a fishmonger you trust. Sashimi grade tuna and salmon are usually easy to find. Other varieties will depend on whether your market has a wider or specialty selections. Cut the tuna or salmon into even strips and add to the rest of the filling.
Step 4 - The Rolling
This the hardest part of making a sushi roll, but if you follow a few basic steps it is pretty simple.
1. Wet your fingertips
2. Starting with the closest end, begin rolling away from you
3. Before you reach the far edge, wet one of your fingertips again and wet the entire length of the nori that was left clear
4. Complete the roll. If you find it helps keep the roll more consistent you can use the mat througout the process - using it to shape the roll as you go, resetting the mat, and repeating as you go. If you find you can complete the roll without the mat, that's fine as well, but once the roll is complete the mat definitely comes into play. Using both hands, wrap the mat completely around the roll and apply pressure starting with both hands at the middle and working them outward.
This makes sure that the roll is even in diameter as well as ensuring it sticks together. Repeat this last process two or three times. Don't worry if the filling spills out on either end a little, it makes for good presentation.
Step 5 - Enjoy!
The last step is to cut the roll. The most important thing about cutting the sushi roll is using a sharp, wet knife. Cut the roll in half, in halves again, and in halves again so that you have 8 equal pieces. Wet the knife in between each cut and cut with two quick motions.
Unless you're a natural, it isn't likely to look very pretty the first few times (see below for one of my first attempts), but with a little practice you'll be making better-than-restaurant quality sushi in no time.
Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, and enjoy!
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