MYO Sushi

5chw4r7z‘s post on sushi inspired me to finish/publish a post about making sushi. I love the stuff, and it’s an integral part of my diet. Plus it has it all, carbs from the rice, protein from the fish, and all the benefits of whatever veggies you throw in the mix.

However there is one downside to going out and eating sushi, as evidenced by 5chw4r7′s photos…it can get a bit pricey.

Fear the tab no more, I am going to show you that making sushi is easy, delicious, and wayyyyyy cheaper.

Let’s start with the basics:

Step one is go to the asian market on the south side of Findlay Market and pick up the following: Sushi rice, Nori (seaweed), and the powdered vinegar/salt/sugar mix you need for the rice. You will also want to get a sushi rolling mat, and perhaps some chopsticks. There are other great accoutrements you will find there as well, but the basics will get you started and shouldn’t cost more than about $15-$20.

Next walk through the market and find the innards of your rolls. This includes you fish, veggies, fruit, cream cheese, or whatever your heart desires. You begin to realize that making sushi is just like making a sandwich, the possibilities are endless.

The hardest part is cooking the rice. If you have a rice cooker, sweet, you’re cooler than I am. If you don’t follow these simple instructions:

1. Rinse the rice. I put the rice in muslin bags that I have for homebrewing, but cheesecloth works as well. I generally soak the rice for 10 minutes, after which time the water is a murky white. I then remove the bag and run water through it until it comes out clear.

2. I then put the rice in a pot on the stove with 1 1/2 cups of water for every cup of rice. 1 cup of rice should make about 3-4 rolls depending on how big/thick you make them.

3. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to simmer. Stir occasionally for the next 15 minutes to ensure it doesn’t stick. Then kill the heat and let sit covered for another 10-15 minutes.

4. At this point you will want to mix in your vinegar/sugar/salt mix. I buy the powdered stuff from the store, but you can also mix rice vinegar, sugar and salt and add that. The powder makes things easy. You will add about a tablespoon per cup of rice directly after the rice is done cooking. Be sure to fold in the mixture with a rubber spatula, too much stirring and your delicate rice kernals will turn to mush.

5. I then take my rice and spread it out on a tray to allow it to cool to room temp. Do NOT put it in the fridge, it will cool in 30-40 minutes.

Ok, the hard part is over. Now it’s as easy as putting rice onto seaweed, adding your fillings, and rolling with the bamboo roller (techniques can be found on youtube). Oh, and remember to cover your roller in saran wrap, it makes cleanup so much easier.

You can add rice to the inside, outside, or both sides of your roll, depending on what you like. Then start throwing in the fillings. Note that sticky rice is, as the name implies, sticky! Keep a bowl of cold water to dip your fingers in before you handle the rice to prevent it from sticking to your hands.

Get creative!

Then get your roll on!

When your roll comes out, be sure to use a sharp knife to cut it. Again, this is sticky rice. Take a cloth and dampen it with cold water, then wipe down your knife. Doing this before each cut will prevent the knife from sticking (and make cleaning it that much easier).

That may seem like a long process, but I promise it is easy. Plus it is a great activity to get everyone you are eating with involved in the kitchen. It’s a very difficult dish to mess up (except for the rice, and even that isn’t so bad).

Advanced Technique: Tempura Fried Sushi

Pick up real peanut oil, tempura batter mix, and japanese bread crumbs (optional) and you can make your own tempura rolls, or tempura pieces to go into your rolls.

Finally, grab a good beer and enjoy on your roof deck.

Oh, and the spicy mayo is just mayo with sriracha sauce. Add wasabi for some extra flavor.