Sushi at home is an exciting way to make a well-loved cuisine in the comfort of one's own kitchen, and it's not as daunting a process as many think. With the correct tools - of which consist of a sushi mat and a sharp knife - anyone can be rolling their favorite sushi before they know it. It takes a bit of practice and patience and while there is a technique, there's no right or wrong way to cook at home. And that's the beauty of it all!
With a few simple tricks and tips as well as ingredients that are of proper (high) quality, the art of sushi is something that's fun, affordable, and a great way to celebrate Asian cuisine. Once the basics are down, that's when the fun begins - mixing unique and fun combinations and trying new rolls are good motivation to keep testing your sushi skills. But for now, here are the very first things to know before prepping that bamboo mat.
For Starters, Pick Your Favorite Sushi Rolls Rather Than Trying New Combinations
It can be tempting to find sushi roll combinations that require lengthy prep time, such as anything involving tempura or a specific sauce. Keep in mind that all the ingredients used must first be prepped and chopped in order to fit into a tiny roll of seaweed and that alone takes some time. Rather than getting burnt out with prep work before a single sushi roll is even cut and served, cooks should pick out their favorite, simple, rolls.
A California roll is pretty easy for this, as are any veggie-based rolls. A quick-cooking fish option such as tuna or shrimp can be a good option, as well as any imitation (or real, cooked) lobster or crab meat. While raw fish can definitely be used at home, there are some things to look out for when picking this and might be better placed on the back burner until the basics are down.
Mise En Place Is Crucial Prior To Rolling
Line up ingredients so that it's easier to reach them because order is important when it comes to sushi-rolling. It's somewhat of a layering process and things will go much more smoothly when nori (seaweed) is laid out, followed by rice, followed by veggies, followed by meat (if any), followed by any toppings, such as sesame seeds.
Having everything neat and organized - mise en place literally means "everything in place" - can help tremendously when cooking an unfamiliar dish.
Let's Talk About Sushi Rice, Specific
It can't be brown rice, it can't be long-gran rice, and it can't be regular white rice - rice for sushi must be "sushi rice." There's a specific type of sticky texture that's important when it comes to a roll sticking together and sushi rice has just enough elasticity to do that.
Sushi rice is short-grained rice and it's easily found now in supermarkets. If finding it is a problem, try the local Asian market! When all else fails, ask for help; sushi is the base of any good roll and there's no good substitute for the real thing.
As a pro tip, having a small glass of water next to your hand when working with rice is helpful. Dipping fingers first will prevent the rice from sticking to the roller's fingers rather than the nori. For those who have a rice cooker, three cups of sushi rice and three and a quarter cups of water should do it. For those who don't, follow the directions on the package for cooking - then start prepping a rice vinegar mixture of one-third a cup of rice vinegar and three tablespoons of sugar. A few drops of this vinegar blend can be dripped onto the rice when it's spread over a nori sheet and helps add a more authentic flavor.
Second pro-tip: Wash the rice prior to cooking.
Now, Let's Talk About Sushi-Grade Fish
Sushi can't be used with just any type of fish. For those rolling sushi with pre-cooked ingredients or veggies, there's no problem. However, for those looking to use fresh fish, the fish must be what's called "sushi grade."
This means that the fish is as fresh as possible without any potential for being old or unsafe to eat. Some things to look out for are the color of the fish, which should be bright and not dull by any means. The fish shouldn't have any strong smell and as far as texture, the fish should be smooth to the touch and not slimy.
Pro tip: Go for filets over any other cut of fish, as they're easier to slice.