Sushi

It takes a whole book to do justice to sushi. I happen to have written one (see our catalog of other CDs).

Here are the basics of making basic rolled (maki) sushi, which is what you are most likely to find at your local Chinese buffet. The material is excerpted from my sushi book, which I heartily recommend to you for a much more complete treatment (see the section on "Our Other CDs" on this disk or go to www.goodmagic.com/cd for more info..

You'll certainly need to visit an Asian market for specialized ingredients, though you can find a surprising amount of what you need in the regular grocery.

SUSHI RICE — I have used regular long-grain rice to make sushi, and enjoyed some success. But to do really well, you'll need short-grain rice. Varieties particularly suited to "holding together" well, as you need them to do for sushi, are sold at shocking prices in Western groceries or more reasonable prices in Asian groceries. Use an electric rice cooker (one of the best kitchen tools ever devised!) and use 1¼ cups of water for every cup of dry sushi rice. Don't go waltzing off around the house to do something else while the rice cooks! Although many recipes tell you to let the rice sit in the cooker for 10 minutes after it clicks off (it basically turns itself off when it senses that all the water has boiled away) I prefer to get the seasoning mixture in there right away and let the hot rice absorb it immediately.

RICE SEASONING — You can buy powdered dressing (pictured) in some really good Asian markets, or make your own quite simply (see below)

NORI — Sheets of dry, roasted seaweed, the "wrap" for rolled sushi. Varies widely in price. Read the package, especially the ingredients list, to make sure you're not getting something with some wild flavor added (no flavoring, except perhaps salt, should be listed.) May be shelved with some other varieties of seaweed used for other purposes; make sure that what you get is paper-thin. If examined closely, it will have that "chopped and formed" look, and may even possibly be pre-scored to tear in half. You should be able to use it right out of the package. The kind you want is roasted. If you can't find roasted, or if your package has been sitting around opened for a while, you might try putting the nori in a warm oven for a few minutes to perk it up a little. A word of caution: nori comes in a thousand different shapes and sizes AND flavors, from julienne strips for decorating chirashi and soups, to little strips the size of Post-It notes, and odd flavors you really wouldn't like. I thought I was being smart getting the pictured little packet of conveniently cut strips, but I messed the essential note (in the ingredient list) and picture (right there in front of everybody), "Hot Kimchee Flavor." Don't get me wrong, I love kimchee, but I don't want any in my sushi. READ THE LABEL! One other caution: almost every package of nori has a little packet included which contains a chemical to keep the nori dry and crispy, and the warning is clearly written all over the packet — in Japanese: "DON'T EAT THIS PACKET!"

A bamboo SUSHI ROLLING MAT — about 12" square, a couple of bucks, and yes, I have on rare occasions "cheated" and used a dry kitchen towel (a distinct compromise).

Wasabi — Japanese horseradish, sold in a tin as a powder, or in any number of sizes pre-mixed. I prefer the powder, which is what most sushi bars use. Mix it volume-for-volume with water. Especially avoid the tubes of paste, they seem to me to have an "off" flavor, as well as being much too expensive. The 'wasabi' served even in most sushi bars, and the wasabi sold and used day-to-day in Japan, is really powdered and reconstituted American horseradish artificially colored green. It's what most diners are most familiar with, and you can serve it with confidence. It should be noted, however, that real wasabi can be ordered on the Net. It is quite different in appearance and flavor. Real wasabi has a heat that does not linger, and which complements and enhances flavor very well.

Pickled Ginger — "Gari," essential for "cleansing the palette." Make it yourself if you wish, there is a recipe in the "Preparation" recipe chapter.

Soy Sauce —There are many varieties and brands of soy sauce. I far prefer Kikkoman, and their "light" soy sauce is (unlike many "lite" products) very delicate, well-made and pleasant. Avoid any brand that does not have wheat and soybeans as the first ingredients listed after the water, or at all! (Forget Chun King and French's)

Fish Eggs — If you are fortunate enough to live near an Asian market, ask for MASAGO (smelt roe), also known as "capelin roe," or TOBIKO (flying fish roe). They are used interchageably. Very mild, smelling and tasting of the sea, they can be frozen without any difficulty.

HOT SPICY OIL — Sesame oil made hot and spicy by heating with dried red pepper. Buy it bottled, or heat up some in a pan and steep hot pepper flakes like tea.

FISH — Your seafood should be purchased as close as possible to your meal. Don't try to serve everything … select a few types you like and serve in several variations.

Surimi — Imitation crab legs. Easily available in most supermarkets these days, and in American markets you can find it in flakes or chunks, flavored like lobster and more; pieces can be made to work if you can't find the long stick shape. Surimi seafood and the similar kamaboko fish cake have been eaten in Japan for more than 1,000 years. They consider surimi another kind of fish, not "fake" anything. Great in salads, but does not cook well.

KAMABOKO — Steamed fish cake, very much like surimi. Kamaboko is bought frozen, a half-cylinder of already-cooked fish meat packed on a board. It sometimes comes colored "shocking pink," but the flavor is still mild and surimi-like. Slices of kamaboko make a very attractive presentation.

Kampyo — Seasoned Japanese gourd (dark yellow). If bought dried, you soak and then boil in soy sauce and sugar to season. Also available pre-cooked.

Nametake chazuke — Prepared mushrooms (prepare them yourself). Get dried shiitake mushrooms (they vary greatly in price; get the cheaper sliced ones, since you'd have to slice them anyway.) As with gourd shavings, soak in hot water 15 minutes, drain, then boil in soy sauce and sugar a few minutes to flavor them.

Bettara-zuke — Pickled daikon (right), crunchy and slightly sweet, bright yellow from food coloring.

CREAM CHEESE — You may find it easier to soften the cream cheese at room temperature, or to work with it refrigerated (it may be a bit more manageable).

Most rolls use some combination of the following: cucumber, avocado, steamed mushrooms, steamed carrots, egg, salmon, shrimp, crab, yellowtail, tuna, eel, squid, scallops, fish roe, cream cheese, and mayonnaise.

1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar (You could use white vinegar or even cider vinegar if you must)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 to 1½ Teaspoons Salt
Optional: 1 Teaspoon Mirin (Sweet Sake)

Heat slowly in a sauce pan and stir just until sugar and salt are dissolved with the vinegar. Do not boil. Cool to room temperature before mixing with rice.

Achieving the perfect consistency is largely dependent on two factors: using the right rice, and quick cooling by tossing and fanning. And now I begin upsetting the "food snobs" … achieving a consistency only slightly less than perfect is easily possible by using the right rice, and cooling at a somewhat more leisurely pace: toss a few times, work briefly on your other ingredients, toss a bit more, open a beer, and toss a little more — forget the fanning altogether.

Transfer the rice (ouch! Yes, I know it's hot! Stop whining … art is pain!) to your largest plastic bowl, or to several. You will need plenty of room to spread the rice out for tossing and cooling, so several bowls may be easier than one. Add the seasoning to all the bowls and toss each for a moment. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of the liquid seasoning per cup of cooked rice. Again, I have greatly enjoyed the ease of the powdered sushi seasoning you can buy at better Asian markets. The package will indicate how much cooked rice it should season. If you can't read it, or if you over-season or under-season the rice, you can hardly be outside the range of seasoning you would experience at some sushi bars. Toss the seasoning and rice together for a minute, then turn your attention to the other cooling bowl(s) and do likewise. Ideal sushi rice will have a very slightly chewy consistency, a hint of sweet tangy flavor (I like a strong hint, Japanese prefer a delicate hint, Koreans seem not to add seasoning at all) and a very sticky quality while warm. The stickiness, too, will moderate with time, but you want it to be sticky, annoyingly so, while you're working with it. You manage the stickiness by keeping your hands wet. The rice must not be refrigerated and should be used within an hour after preparation. Keep the rice covered at room temperature until needed.

Some Types of Makisushi All rolls have nori on the outside, unless specified. Of course, you can experiment and make up new ones. The "odd" types come from the menus of U.S. restaurants, and the really weird types (in red) come from Japan!
*You'll find classic rolls here as well as a surprising array of "nouveau"* rolls!**
Futomaki	Large roll containing pink fish powder, egg, gourd, possibly other vegetables inside the rice and nori.
Tekkamaki	Small roll with tuna inside. Originated as a snack at gambling houses (tekka).
Kappamaki	Small roll with a piece of cucumber inside. Named after Kappa, a Japanese water goblin very fond of cucumbers.
Oshinkomaki	Small roll with yellow pickled radish.
Unakyu	Small roll with unagi (grilled freshwater eel), often brushed with teriyaki sauce on top.
California Roll	Inside-out roll with rice outside, then nori inside the rice (or sometimes omitted altogether), then fillings of surimi crab leg OR sometimes real crab or surimi mixed with mayonnaise, and avocado, formed then rolled in small fish eggs.
Rainbow Roll, Caterpillar Roll, Dragon Roll	Regular or inside-out (depending on the chef) this new style often contains avocado. Ingredients depend on the chef as well, and the roll is often presented on its side, draped with overlapping slices of avocado.
Spider Roll	Soft-shell crab (tempura-fried).
Tempura Roll	Tempura, usually shrimp, presented either with its tail sticking out of a longer slice of roll, or sliced and coated with mayonnaise before rolling.
Salmon Skin Roll	Grilled salmon skin, crispy and smoky-flavored.
Dynamite Roll	Tuna (usually) chopped (usually) and mixed with spicy oil or dried hot pepper.
Philadelphia Roll (Bagel Roll)	Inside-out roll of lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese.
Baja Roll	Grilled yellowtail (if you can't get yellowtail, salmon or tuna will do), julienned jalapeño peppers, mustard.
Kamikaze Roll	HOT! A Baja Roll replacing the jalapeño peppers with julienned habañero peppers … much too hot for the average person, and the chef preparing the peppers must wear rubber gloves!
Carne Asada Roll	Marinated & seared top sirloin, avocado, possibly minced sun-dried tomato, sauce.
Virginia Roll	Smoked Ham (at least) or, better, real salty, aged Smithfield Ham, with perhaps a bit of mustard.
Memphis Roll	Smoky pork barbecue with Tennessee's sugar/molasses sauce (just a drop).
Hawaiian Roll	You may not believe it, but, Spam! Sometimes contains pineapple, drained well on a paper towel. Yes, the Japanese enjoy it.
New Orleans Roll	Paté. Or crawfish and a drop of Tabasco.
North Carolina Roll	Smoky pork barbecue with vinegary North Carolina-style barbecue sauce (just a tiny drop on the meat before rolling)
South Carolina Roll	Smoky pork barbecue with South Carolina's mustard-based sauce (just a drop.)
Mushroom Roll (1)	The sweetened shiitake mushrooms mentioned in the "Ingredients" chapter.
Mushroom Roll (2)	Portobello mushrooms, chopped and sautéed in a little butter.
Tuna Salad Roll	Tuna salad (canned tuna, mayonnaise, chopped onion [I use chopped apple instead]) rolled in a nori sheet that has been topped with a leaf of lettuce.
Uramaki	Japanese name for any inside-out (rice on the outside) roll.
Baked Scallop California Roll	About 1/3 cup of a mixture of chopped scallops, capelin roe and mayonnaise are spread on top of a finished California roll, which is baked on a greased pan for ten minutes, then sprinkled with black sesame seeds.
Super Tempura Roll	A finished California Roll is dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried, then sliced and served.
Salad Roll	Tomato, avocado, cucumber, mayonnaise.
Almond Roll	Teriyaki onion, almonds, cucumber, mushroom.
Frushi Roll	Variety of your favorite fruits.
Thai Noodle Roll	Pad Thai noodles.
Curry Rice Roll	Fried curry rice, potato, peas, baby carrots.
Adobo Chicken Roll	Phillipine soy marinated chicken.
Roast Beef Roll/ Roast Turkey Roll	Roast beef or roast turkey, use gravy as dip.
Fajita Roll	Fajita chicken.
Sweet & Sour Chicken Roll	Sweet & Sour Chicken, use sweet & sour sauce as a dip.
Mexican Roll	Mexican rise, beans, carne asada, salsa, soft (flour) tortilla.
Veggie Delight	Hummus, Tabouli, Aalfalfa sprouts, lettuce, radish, lemon, herb and spice, wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Spam Musubi Roll	Spam
Hotdog Musubi Roll	Hot dog.
Breaded Fish Roll	Fried fish, teriyaki sauce, grilled zucchini.
Spaghetti Roll	Spaghetti & meatballs, marinara sauce as dip. (I'm not making this up, you know!)
Hawaiian Roll	Scrambled eggs, pineapple, teriyaki chicken.
Egg Salad Roll	Egg salad, cucumber, avocado, teriyaki sauce.

Making Maki Sushi Rolls

You can use the mat without covering it, but you will have an easier time rolling inside-out rolls and a much easier time cleaning up if you cover it with plastic wrap (taping it down on the underside.) The mat above is not covered, and has been run in the dishwasher several times, and still works just fine. Place a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat, shiny side down. Half a sheet for small rolls, a whole sheet for futomaki.
Keeping your hands moistened, put a small amount of sushi rice in the center of the nori and spread evenly over the seaweed. How much? A thin layer; you should be able to see nori between the grains of rice. Leave about 1" of nori at the top of the sheet un-covered by rice.
Use the palm of your hand at the side of the seaweed to firm up the edge of the rice (it will help keep the roll neat). Spread a light streak of wasabi across the middle, then add layers of the desired filling of fish and/or vegetables across the center of the rice.
To roll, fold the bamboo mat to enclose the filling(s) in the center of the nori. There is the problem (and our 11-year-old first-time chef encounters it here) of letting the free edge of the mat press a "crumply" line into the roll as you finish rolling.
Press the mat around the roll for about thirty seconds to shape it, then moisten the margin of seaweed and seal the roll as tightly as possible.
Remove the mat from around the roll, and press in the loose ends. At this point some home chefs wrap the roll with plastic wrap to seal more effectively and cut better later. Alternatively, some home chefs perform the entire assembly in a plastic rolling guide, which usually has slots to guide the cutting while the guide holds the roll together.
Or if you're doing it the traditional way, place it on a cutting board, seam side down. Slice the roll into one-inch rounds, using a wet, very sharp knife. Do not saw, but cut firmly, straight down.


Making Maki Sushi Rolls — Second Try Let's use our new "Sushi Master"

Here's the device - a plastic form for making sushi neatly and easily. I'll tell you this once more … if you're reacting with horror right now, we're never going to agree with each other, and you should return the disk right now for a refund. But if you're intrigued, let's continue:
Place a sheet of nori in the mold.
Fill the mold halfway with sushi rice. Then make a groove in the layer of rice with the provided tool.
Add fillings and press them into the groove.
Fill the remainder of the area with rice and fold the nori closed. (By the way, that's a kids' "stick-on" tattoo, I don't have kids with body art.)
Press the roll down with the rounded cover…
Then use the mold's slots to cut the roll neatly and cleanly…
A sharper knife, kept moister, would have disturbed the nori less. Get a good quick-to-use knife sharpener (mine cost $10 at the restaurant supply store) and USE IT!
Using the lid again, remove the mold's walls and tip the cut roll out, arranging the slices onto a serving platter.
Hmmm … this could be a heck of a lot better than our first try!
Looking pretty darned good!

Making Maki Sushi Rolls

Making Maki Sushi Rolls — Second Try Let's use our new "Sushi Master"

Making Maki Sushi Rolls — Second Try
Let's use our new "Sushi Master"