Sushi. I crave it at time. The flavors, so fresh, intrigue my palette. Going out for sushi dinner is one of my favorite meals out. One of my dear friends is a Japanese Sushi Master, he’s taught me a few tricks to create these same healthy tastes at home.
Sounds complex, but I about to show you my secrets to simplify and easily capture the Sushi Dinner experience at home.
The toughest part is finding the sushi grade quality tuna and fresh salmon (any sushi grade fish is encouraged, however many can be more challenging to find. Sushi grade fish can often be found fresh frozen. This is an excellent product.
The real culinary excitement come in with the choir of accompanying ingredients.
Here’s my list: pickled ginger, cucumbers (hot house or English work best), avocado ripe but not mushy, fresh jalapeño, cilantro, lemon, scallion, low sodium soy sauce, sirache, wasabi and kewpie, seaweed wrappers, teriyaki baste and glaze and ponzu sauce
Start with making your rice can use sushi rice but not essential. Skin and filet your salmon into about 2 x 2 inche pieces. I carve all of my fish in advance. The tuna is cut into one inch wide strips.
Knife skills, cut shapes, these should be paid attention to in sushi. Wash you sharpest knife often during the carving process of the film from the fish will dull your knife and your cuts become sloppy and rough. You want smooth sleek pieces.
A few chef tips:
Matchsticks, this is how you should cut your ingredient if you plan to hand wrap. De seed the jalapeño if you don’t want too much heat. Use rice wine vinegar and soy to quick pickle your cucumber or jalapeño for a touch of zest.
In a hot searing pan add a touch of sesame oil, set your tuna pieces, only 30 seconds on each side then out of the pan. Definitely very pink inside, but a slight cook on the outer flesh. For the salmon, I use a touch of butter in the pan on medium high this time. Outer layer should be slightly on all sides. Inside will remain warmed but rare and fleshy to retain the integrity of the fish. Remove fish from on add teriyaki sauce and a hint of lemon or sake. Reduce only a bit, into a sauce to coat the fish. Right before service return salmon into pan and coat the fish with the teriyaki.
Plate up, the real secret…….
Select a plate or bowl that’s beautiful but also designed large enough to keep ingredients separate
