|
Although you can
visit any Sushi restaurant and enjoy fresh, delicious food, another
option is to learn how to make Sushi at home.
For some reason, many people feel intimidated when it comes
to making Sushi but in reality, the process is not complicated and
the results will be exactly as you would find in a Sushi restaurant.
Just imagine having a dinner party and serving fresh,
homemade Sushi!
There are three
types of Sushi – Narezushi, Hayazushi, and Namanarizushi.
The most commonly served is Hayazushi, which is what you find
in Sushi rolls and the type of Sushi most often sold in restaurants.
To make Sushi, you do not need expensive equipment and any
specialty spices can be purchased at most grocery stores.
If needed, you can locate an Asian store where you live to
find the various things you need or order online.
To get started, you
will need to set out the things needed to make your Sushi:
- Bowl of water containing three lemon slices
- Bamboo Sushi roll mat
- Sharp knife
- Clean cutting board
- Pack of roasted seaweed
- Clean, wet hand towel
- Cooled Sushi rice
- Bowl of wasabi made from one part water and one part
wasabi powder (condiment)
Using your knife and
cutting board, cut the seaweed in half.
Roll it out on the front end of the bamboo mat.
Moisten your hands with the lemon water, take 5 ounces of
rice, and form it into the shape of a rod.
Spread the rice from left to right onto one-half of the
seaweed. Moisten your hands again and use the wet towel to wipe them
off, which will be done each time after handling the rice.
Leaving about
1/2-inch at the top of the seaweed spread the rice out evenly,
leaving a slight groove in the center.
This groove is where you will place the fish or vegetables.
Moisten and wipe your hands again.
Next, place the strip of fish or vegetables of choice in the
groove. Carefully, lift
and roll the front end of the bamboo mat to the other end of the
rice, pressing slightly.
Now roll the mat
from the other end. The
1/2-inch space you left will be sealed with the other end of the
seaweed. Next, press
the mat lightly at the center, sliding your hands down to the ends.
Gently remove the mat and press both ends of the seaweed to
create a tight seal. To
serve, use the sharp knife to cut into 3/4–inch pieces, creating a
round circle filled with fish and/or vegetables.
For professional
chefs, you will find that Sushi comes in a variety of shapes, each a
personal signature of the chef’s skill.
After you have some practice in making Sushi, you too can
create your own signature shape if you like.
Remember to be patient.
While making Sushi is not difficult, it does require getting
used to. If you find
that you and the rice are having a battle and the rice is winning,
just remember to remoisten your hands and wipe them on the towel.
To serve your Sushi,
there are three primary condiments:
- Soy Sauce – This condiment is healthy and the
perfect choice if your Sushi has fish, as it will help to bring
out the natural flavors
- Wasabi Paste – If you like hot and spicy, you will
love Wasabi Paste. This
appears as a green glob but it is actually made from horseradish
and is not for the faint of heart.
- Pickled Ginger – This condiment should not be eaten
with fish. Actually,
the pickled ginger is used to cleanse the palette if you are
eating a variety of Sushi types.
As you finish one variety, you take a very small bite of
the pickled ginger and then move on to the next variety of
Sushi.
|
