SUSHI Questions

[K4RM4]

I have so many questions regarding sushi. Most of my questions have more or less to do with home preparation. Being a teacher, past Asian parents have brought me all kinds of goodies. Some Hawaiian parents have brought me huge, thick rolls of incredibly good sushi. I had some Japanese parents that brought me some of the best sushi I've ever had. The restaurants do a great job of preparation most of the time, but price and freshness are often a factor. A friend of mine told me that sushi is flash frozen in liquid nitrogen refrigerators...something that I found hard to believe.

We all know about worms, and wouldn't even want to mess with that. So, can it be done? Do you need a special refrigerator? How hard is all of it? I can get loads of fresh fish. How feasible is home sushi?

[Patty]

(05-05-2010 04:50 PM)K4RM4 Wrote:  I have so many questions regarding sushi. Most of my questions have more or less to do with home preparation. Being a teacher, past Asian parents have brought me all kinds of goodies. Some Hawaiian parents have brought me huge, thick rolls of incredibly good sushi. I had some Japanese parents that brought me some of the best sushi I've ever had. The restaurants do a great job of preparation most of the time, but price and freshness are often a factor. A friend of mine told me that sushi is flash frozen in liquid nitrogen refrigerators...something that I found hard to believe.

We all know about worms, and wouldn't even want to mess with that. So, can it be done? Do you need a special refrigerator? How hard is all of it. I can get loads of fresh fish. How feasible is home sushi?

Wow! I want to teach at YOUR school!

I've made sushi for years. If there are asian markets in your area, they can help you buy raw fish that's ready for sushi. Preparing fresh fish myself seemed to be a project in itself so I always buy the prepared fish a couple of hours before I make sushi.

[Buckwheat]

Home sushi is totally do-able, if you have the desire and a few basics.

First off, sushi is defined by the rice, not raw fish (Sashimi is raw fish). Short grained rice is cooked and cooled, and then a vinegar/sugar solution is added. The ever popular California Roll is filled with Avocado, Cucumber and cooked Crab (or Krab, which is surimi, and another topic itself). No raw fish here. Cucumber Rolls with Plum Sauce are quite good too. Put whatever you like in there.

Sushi rolls, or Maki Sushi, are probably what you are most familiar with. It is the most popular. Rice and filling wrapped with Nori (the green seaweed sheet appearing around or inside of the roll).

Nigiri Sushi are smaller, and usually served two pieces at a time. Slices of raw/marinated/cooked fish, or egg, or pickled vegies, placed on top of a small pad of rice. Individual bites usually, two bites if you're modest.

Wasabi, the green stuff, is very much like horseradish. You may find a slight bit on your sushi already, and usually some on the side, for mixing into your soy sauce (I am growing some fresh wasabi as we speak).

http://picasaweb.google.com/113082508602...directlink

Pickled Ginger is another component you will find on a sushi plate (palate cleansing/general goodness).

Here's links to a decent sushi guide and homemade sushi.....

http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/fi...ossary.asp

http://www.imakesushi.com/

Enjoy!!!

[Patty]

Excellent links, Buckwheat! Thanks for posting them. And yes, raw fish is sashimi and the term sushi encompasses a variety of preparations. So, I think K4RM4's question was primarily about preparing sashimi. I buy it fully prepared, (flash frozen in liquid nitrogen?), and ready to serve. It's the safest and most convenient way to go.

[K4RM4]

(05-06-2010 09:10 PM)Patty Wrote:  Excellent links, Buckwheat! Thanks for posting them. And yes, raw fish is sashimi and the term sushi encompasses a variety of preparations. So, I think K4RM4's question was primarily about preparing sashimi. I buy it fully prepared, (flash frozen in liquid nitrogen?), and ready to serve. It's the safest and most convenient way to go.

Actually, I was trying to be as general as possible to hopefully get any advice about sushi. Oh yes, I love sashimi!!! But I am also referring to all the different variations. That's what I love about sushi....there are so many little appetizers!! Keep going people. It's all good.


Wonderful advice too. I was always feeling a little sheepish about asking stupid questions about sushi. This seemed like a friendly enough place to just ask. Thanks for all the advice and KEEP IT COMING!!

---

If you ever get to Vegas, try Todai at Planet Hollywood (PH). It's about 35 USD a person, but you won't regret it.

[Timmay!]

Definitely the thing to do is find a small market or Asian store where you can buy sashimi-grade fish, and pick it up just before you make the sushi. That way, it'll stay nice and fresh. I am lucky in that living in a town near the ocean, I can get lots of fresh fish when I want it, but I would think that in most places these days you ought to be able to find it if you look around a bit.

As was mentioned, the rice is the trick. Get that right, get some decent fish, and the rest you can play around with. Nigiri at home is pretty easy, as long as you've got nice sharp knives to cut the fish with. Even Maki (the rolls) aren't that hard with the right tools - they're often prepared and rolled up on a little bamboo mat, but you can use any flexible stiff thing to do it with - one of the laminated placemats from Bubba's, say? Lay the ingredients out in order - Nori on the bottom, layer of rice, filling in the middle, and then use the mat to roll the whole thing up into the nice little "log." There you go!

-Tim

[fenderjazz]

The way you cut the fish, and prepare the rice are really what makes the difference. Improperly cut fish, or poorly prepared rice ruin good sushi. I can't say I do either well. It's one of the few things I prefer to get out.

[Asian Rush Fan]

(05-05-2010 04:50 PM)K4RM4 Wrote:  I have so many questions regarding sushi. Most of my questions have more or less to do with home preparation. Being a teacher, past Asian parents have brought me all kinds of goodies. Some Hawaiian parents have brought me huge, thick rolls of incredibly good sushi. I had some Japanese parents that brought me some of the best sushi I've ever had. The restaurants do a great job of preparation most of the time, but price and freshness are often a factor. A friend of mine told me that sushi is flash frozen in liquid nitrogen refrigerators...something that I found hard to believe.

We all know about worms, and wouldn't even want to mess with that. So, can it be done? Do you need a special refrigerator? How hard is all of it? I can get loads of fresh fish. How feasible is home sushi?

Karma,

My brother's late father-in-law was a sushiya-san and was one of very few people qualified to slice fugu (blowfish) in Japan. First let me begin by saying: I HATE SUSHI! Well I like inarizushi (inari sushi)Sushi in fried tofu 稲荷寿司or maksizushi: 巻寿司Rolled sushi, but the Sushi/sashimi people eat: http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/fi...ossary.asp I will not eat, but with a very few exception: Ika, tamago and ebi. As you can tell, all of them are cooked.

Sushi is not to be saved or refrigerated. You take what you can eat. The largest consumers are restaurants but the ones in local market are to be eaten immediately. So you should not be wasteful.

The deep freeze in nitrogen prevents frost burns on the fish. After the disaster in Fukushima, fish around Japan are no longer edible, so now the wholesalers are going to ports in Los Angeles and Mexico and are willing to buy a 300 pound tuna for about $20,000. They slice the fish, and flash freeze it after it is dried of excess moisture and shipped to Japan. The fish remains fresh for its long hall.

The rice part I have to ask my mom. She makes sushi rice, so I have to ask her. I hope this resolves your question.

[jackeen]

Sushi is definitely something I want to try and prepare. My brother in law is a licensed Salmon fisherman (traditional draft netting). He brought us some Fresh wild Salmon a few weeks ago that was amazing.
I'd have loved to have done something special with that! Great links and "local" knowledge by the way. I'm so glad I joined this forum.

[Asian Rush Fan]

Ah, sake (pron: Shaw-keh). Yuck! But make sure the sake is sea-water fresh. Oh and enjoy! Also, enjoy ikura (pron: E-Coo-Rah) salmon roe. Another yuck! But it makes good trout bait!

---

Oh this is how you say ikura: http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&tab=w...lmon%20Roe