TigerChef

Although sushi is most frequently associated with Japanese restaurants, it in fact dates back to 17th century China. The Chinese began making sushi in order to preserve fish, way before refrigeration was invented. Both salt and rice were needed to assist in the fermentation process and as a result, sushi got well acquainted with rice. As time went on and the Chinese and Japanese cultures crossed, sushi became an accepted food choice in both countries.

You’ll need

A bamboo mat, nori sheets, sharp knife, chopsticks for serving,

rice, a variety of thinly sliced vegetables, and fish.

Begin by spreading a full sheet of nori on the bamboo mat. Moisten your hands and scoop a handful of rice, a bit bigger than a lemon, onto the sheet of nori. Press the rice over the nori and spread it evenly, leaving ½” of uncovered nori around the edges.

To make Uramaki (inside-out sushi), turn the nori sheet over so that the rice is at the bottom. You have the option of spreading any desired sauce on whichever side of the nori sheet you would like.

Place the sliced vegetables on the nori sheet and then add the fish over the vegetables. The thinner the strips of fish and vegetables are the better. For sushi, you always want to avoid the larger, thicker pieces.

As soon as you have the vegetables and fish in place, carefully lift the end of the bamboo mat that is closest to you and roll it, using light, even pressure on the roll. Fold in the uncovered nori and keep on rolling, using the bamboo mat to keep it together and to seal the roll. If you would like to give the sushi more of a square shape, gently press on the top and sides of the roll. Once you think that the roll can rest on its own, unroll the mat.

With a sharp knife, cut the sushi roll into 1” (slightly less than 2 fingers) slices and transfer the pieces of sushi to a serving platter or plate. For extra flavor, you can fry each piece for about 20 seconds on each side.

For most people, sushi means raw fish. The truth is that the dishes that are made using raw fish are actually called ‘sashimi’. What defines sushi is the fact that the rice is made using rice vinegar. There are also vegetarian sushi rolls which do not include raw fish.

Tip: Keep a bowl of lemon water handy and keep on dipping your fingers into the water, to keep the rice from sticking to them.

Filed under: How-To • General

Tags: sushi