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Know your Sushi!
Sushi is a very hot topic at the moment. It has had a lot of bad press initially as people thought that it only contained raw fish and rice. Of course, some sushi is made with raw fish, but certainly not all of it. In fact, sushi can contain almost any filling – cooked meats and fish, vegetables and fruits. Here’s a little bit of sushi sense that will help any of those who would like to try it but have been just too darn scared!!
Sushi is basically a selection of toppings pressed onto seasoned, sticky rice. It has many attributes – firstly it looks delightful – sometimes a real work of art – it’s elegant and pleasurable to make and, of course, delicious to eat! For the food police, it’s also low in calories and fat. A sure winner all round, then!
Contrary to popular belief, sushi is ridiculously easy to make – all you really need is a little patience, a little practice and a sushi mat
There are many types of sushi:
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MAKI-ZUSHI is a rolled type of sushi and is actually quite easy to make. Basically you need a sheet of nori (a type of seaweed), which is spread with sushi rice and other fillings. It is then rolled up using a sushi mat and cut into bite sized pieces. As the amounts of fillings in sushi are quite small you can afford to use better quality and more expensive fillings.
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Traditionally sushi is dipped in Japanese soy sauce (shoyu) but you can also use a sweet chilli dipping sauce instead. Other accompaniments are pickled ginger , and wasabi , which puts the ‘bite’ in sushi.
Sushi rolls can be made with the nori either inside or out (uramaki).
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OSHI-ZUSHI is a pressed sushi that is made in a bamboo pressing box. In the UK a terrine tin would work as well, but just remember to make the sushi upside down so that when it is turned out, the toppings are on the top of the sushi and not underneath!
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CHIRASHI-ZUSHI or scattered sushi is more often made at home in Japan. The rice is put in the bottom of individual bowls and the toppings are arranged decoratively on top.
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TEMAKI or hand rolled sushi are usually bigger than the bite sized rolled sushi and are a great way to be creative when making your own. The large squares of nori are cut into smaller squares, smeared sparingly with wasabi, filled with rice and other fillings and rolled up. It is then dipped in the traditional shoyu sauce and eaten, either as a canapé or if bigger ones are made, as a lunch time snack!
SUSHI RICE
The defining element of sushi is not raw fish but the rice. It is a short grain, high starch rice that goes a little sticky when cooked. The rice is then traditionally flavoured with rice vinegar before being used in all types of sushi preparation.
RAW FISH
The use of raw fish [sashimi] in sushi, although traditional, is not necessary. However, if you are using raw fish, the fish really must be as fresh as possible. Raw fish is more likely to contain bacteria than cooked fish because it hasn’t used heat to kill them off. Try getting it from a reputable fishmonger and use it on the day of purchase. Look for fish that has:
WASABI
It is a small green plant that grows in clear mountain streams. Its root is prized for it’s fiery flavour. It is available as a paste or as a powder. You just add water to make it up into a paste. It really puts the ‘bite’ into sushi and a little goes a long way! It can either be added sparingly to the fillings or, very often, put on the side in order for people to add their own, according to taste.
SHOYU
Shoyu is Japanese Soy Sauce which has been fermented in cedarwood kegs for 18 months. It is used extensively in Japanense cuisine. Another sauce that is often used is PONZU sauce. A very versatile sauce which contains no oil.
RICE MIRIN
Another versatile seasoning, Mirin is made from Sake, but is specifically used in cooking. Very good when used to flavour sushi rice.
BROWN RICE VINEGAR
Another great seasoning for sushi rice. Very often used to flavour the rice before the sushi is rolled.
MISO
Miso is made from soya beans. It is very often a paste that is used as a flavouring to many Japanese dishes. It’s very tasty and is also taken as a soup (miso soup) and as a drink.
SUSHI NORI
A type of pressed dried seaweed that is used for rolling sushi. It can also be used to flavour soups and stews. Very tasty and not at all ‘fishy’!
UTENSILS
SUSHI MAT
Essential for rolling sushi – a bamboo mat about 12” long that helps roll and shape both maki-zushi and uramaki.
RICE PADDLE
Great for stirring sticky rice and spreading it on the nori.
WHAT TO DRINK?
Usually green tea is taken with sushi, but a light beer or Sake often accompanies the traditional Japanese dish. Sake is usually traditionally drunk warm, however, the modern way of taking Sake with sushi is chilled. Try out which one works for you!
Take a look at our Simple Sushi Recipe