Sushi with Fish

The Cookery Book

FISH

Sushi

It is with great joy to have discovered the art of making Sushi.

I have bought a sushi making kit, with all the traditional moulds,

cutting knives and spatulas, bamboo mats and chop sticks.

In addition, I have now got traditional Japanese Sushi rice,

Japanese vinegar, Mirin, Kewpie Mayonnaise and Eel sauce

as well as a jar of dried crunchy Onion Flakes for Californian Rolls.

You can, of course, make sushi by hand, but the tools above really do make a difference

and are fun to use.

I am considering investing in an electric rice cooker, which I gather can also

be used for making other things successfully, so versatility is ideal.

One whole roll per person is sufficient and really filling, but these

would also make a lovely starter when entertaining.

Essential Ingredients

Essential sushi ingredients include seasoned Japanese short-grain rice, nori (dried seaweed sheets), and various fillings like sashimi-grade fish (salmon, tuna), seafood (crab sticks, prawns), and vegetables (avocado, cucumber). Key staples for assembly and serving include rice vinegar, soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, and toasted sesame seeds.

Soy Sauce - Shoyu

It's a dark sauce made from fermented boiled soybeans and roasted wheat, creating a salty but pleasant, savory taste. You will find it not only in traditional Japanese restaurants but also in most any restaurant in Japan. It's the most essential condiment for Japanese sushi and sashimi

One of the first things to consider when ordering a sushi platter is how many people you're serving. A common rule of thumb is to estimate 6 to 8 pieces of sushi per adult if it's part of a larger meal, or 10 to 12 pieces per adult if sushi is the main course.

Sushi is generally healthy, offering lean protein, omega-3s,vitamins, and minerals from fish and seaweed, but its healthiness depends heavily on the specific ingredients, as fried items, heavy sauces (like spicy mayo), and excessive soy sauce add unhealthy fats, sodium, and sugar. Simple rolls with fish, avocado, and vegetables are nutritious, while complex rolls with tempura or creamy sauces can make it less so, with potential concerns about mercury in certain fish and high salt

Furikake

Furikake is a savory-sweet Japanese seasoning blend, typically comprising toasted sesame seeds, seaweed (nori), salt, and sugar, designed to be sprinkled over rice, noodles, and fish for added texture and umami. It is a versatile condiment used to enhance flavor in everything from vegetables to popcorn.

Tempura Flakes or Tenkasu

Tempura flakes, or tenkasu, are small bits of fried batter used to add a savory crunch to sushi rolls, such as California or Spicy Salmon rolls. They are made by drizzling tempura batter into hot oil, frying until golden, and draining well.

A popular alternative Fried Dried Onion flakes, they can be purchased online or in Asian grocery stores.

I made the above sushi without using a mat, but can now see that this would be helpful as well as using cling film. I did put too much filling in the roll and it was tricky to maintain a good shape.

I used crab sticks with jar of red roasted red peppers, cucumber, avocado

and home made Japanese mayonnaise.

I am not keen on the idea of using raw fish and so will simply stick to using

crab sticks, smoked salmon and cooked prawns.

I have heard that adding cream cheese, makes sushi rolls to die for!

This video is courtesy of Nick's Kitchen and demonstrates how to make sushi at home.

Sushi Ingredients

Ingredients

Sushi Rice: Japanese short-grain white rice, seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt
Furikake
Nori: Dried seaweed sheets.
Fillings (Protein): Sushi-grade salmon, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, tuna, shrimp, crab sticks, or white fish.
Fillings (Vegetable): Avocado, cucumber, spring onions, carrots, bell peppers, asparagus, or pickled radish.
Fillings (Other): Cream cheese, egg (tamago), or tofu.

Condiments & Toppings

Soy Sauce: For dipping.
Wasabi: Japanese horseradish paste.
Pickled Ginger (Gari): Cleanses the palate.Tempura Flakes or Tenkasu
Sesame Seeds: Often used for uramaki (inside-out) rolls.
Spicy Mayo/Sriracha: Commonly added to modern rolls.

Tools & Pantry

Bamboo Mat (Makisu): For rolling.
Rice Vinegar: Essential for seasoning rice.
Plastic Wrap: To prevent sticking.

Common Roll Variations

California Roll: Imitation crab, avocado, cucumber.
Salmon/Tuna Roll: Sashimi-grade fish.
Vegetarian Roll: Avocado, cucumber, pepper.
Cream Cheese Roll: Salmon, cream cheese, avocado.

How to Cook Sushi Rice Traditionally

Cooking perfect, sticky sushi rice without a rice cooker is straightforward

using a pot on the stovetop, provided you use the proper short-grain rice, rinse it thoroughly, and follow a strict cooking-and-steaming method.

Key Components:

Ratio: 1:1 or 1:1.15 (Rice:Water).
Rice: Short-grain Japanese rice (or Calrose).
Tools: A saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.

Step-by-Step Stovetop Method

Soak: Let the rinsed rice soak in 1 to 1¼ cups of cold water in the cooking pot for 30 minutes. This ensures even cooking.

Boil: Place the pot on the stove over high heat, uncovered, and bring to a boil.

Simmer: As soon as it boils, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cook for 10–15 minutes until all water is absorbed.

Rest/Steam (Crucial): Remove the pot from the heat. Do not lift the lid. Let it sit covered for 10–15 minutes to finish steaming.

Season: While the rice rests, make the seasoning (see below).

Cool: Transfer the hot rice to a wide, non-metallic bowl (a wooden hangiri is traditional). Gently fold in the seasoning with a rice paddle, being careful not to mash the grains. Fan the rice while mixing to help it cool to room temperature quickly and gain a glossy sheen.
Rinse Thoroughly (Crucial): Place 1 cup of sushi rice in a sieve and wash under cold water, stirring gently with your hand until the water runs clear (usually 3–4 times) to remove excess starch

Seasoning Mixture (Sushi-su)

While the rice cooks, prepare this mixture to give it that authentic tangy flavor:

2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
(Optional: A small piece of kombu/dried kelp)
Method: Combine in a small saucepan and heat gently over low heat just until the sugar and salt dissolve. Do not boil.

Top Tips for Success

Do Not Peek: Never lift the lid during the simmer or resting phases, or the steam will escape, resulting in unevenly cooked, crunchy rice.
Use a Fine Mesh Sieve: This makes rinsing and draining much easier.
Cooling Quickly: Spreading the rice thin in a wide dish and fanning it allows the starch to set properly, preventing it from becoming mushy.
Don't Refrigerate: Never put sushi rice in the fridge; it will make it hard. Keep it at room temperature covered with a damp cloth.
However, if you need to make this a day earlier, wrap the roll tightly and seal with cling film and place in the fridge over night. This worked very well for the California Roll recipe.

SIMPLE FISH SUSHI

CALIFORNIAN ROLL RECIPE

can be found below the next set of images which follow:

Simple Sushi Recipe

Courtesy of BBC Good Food

and further edits to also create a Californian Roll

Serves: 6

Easy to prepare

Preparation: 40 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

For the rice

300g sushi rice (you can use Jasmine rice, but it does not have quite the same sticky

quality as genuine sushi rice, which can be bought on Amazon

100ml Japanese rice vinegar (available on Amazon) or

(100ml rice wine vinegar / 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar)

For the Eel Sauce

(This can be bought on Amazon) looks great for attractive decoration as well as taste.

For the Japanese Mayonnaise

(Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise can be bought on Amazon and should be used in conjunction with Eel Sauce)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used Hellmans)

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha (Tabasco) - optional to give it a bit of heat

For the Sushi

25g bag nori (seaweed sheets available on Amazon)

choose from the following fillings: cucumber strips

smoked salmon, white crabmeat, canned tuna, red pepper, avocado, spring onion

To Serve with Sushi

wasabi (optional - and fiery!)
pickled ginger
soy sauce
Finely chopped Spring - Green onions for decoration and extra flavour
Tempura or
Dried Onion/Garlic flakes (available from Amazon)

Method

Cook the sushi rice either in an electric rice cooker or in a pan (refer to step by step instructions in the section above).
Take a bamboo sushi mat and cover with cling film to keep it clean and make sure the mat is positioned to roll up away from you.
It is best to wear protective gloves for both hygiene and practical use.
Lay a nori sheet on the mat, shiny-side down. Dip your hands in the vinegared water, then pat handfuls of rice on top in a 1cm thick layer, leaving the furthest edge from you clear.

Spread over some Japanese mayonnaise. Use a spoon to spread out a thin layer of mayonnaise down the middle of the rice.
Add the filling. Line up your favourite fillings – suggestions can be found at the top of this page, however, I used crab sticks, avocado, roasted red pepper strips from a jar and cucumber, although there is not much room for more than 3 items plus rice.
Roll it up. Lift the edge of the mat over the rice, applying a little pressure to keep everything in a tight roll. Gentle roll away from you, squeezing the roll to get a good firm shape, adjust the mat and cling film as you roll until the roll is complete and encased in the mat.
If doing this manually, without a mat, stick down the sides like a stamp. When you get to the edge without any rice, brush with a little water and continue to roll into a tight roll.
Wrap in cling film. Remove the mat and roll tightly in cling film before a grown-up cuts the sushi into thick slices, then unravel the cling film.
TO MAKE PRESSED SUSHI: Layer over some smoked salmon. Line a loaf tin with cling film, then place a thin layer of smoked salmon inside on top of the cling film.
Cover with rice and press down. Press about 3cm of rice over the fish, fold the cling film over and press down as much as you can, using another tin if you have one.
Tip it out like a sandcastle. Turn block of sushi onto a chopping board. Cut into fingers or squares, then remove the cling film.
TO MAKE SUSHI BALLS: Choose your topping. Get a small square of cling film and place a topping, like half a prawn or a small piece of smoked salmon, on it. Use damp hands to roll walnut-sized balls of rice and place on the topping.
Make into tight balls. Bring the corners of the cling film together and tighten into balls by twisting it up, then unwrap and serve.
If you have made your sushi without the nori sheet, but with a filling, you can once the roll is made and chilled to firm up a bit, this can be topped with Japanese mayonnaise and then sprinkled with either Tempura or Fried Onions. Or finely chopped Spring (Green) onions.
Your sushi can now be cut into sections and served with tiny bowls of Wasabi paste, soy sauce and Pickled Ginger.

CALIFORNIAN ROLL

Using sharp serrated knife, carefully cut into sections and serve.

Gently unwrap the cling film from the roll and lay on a board or serving dish.

Carefully roll up the sushi, as described above, but do not trap the cling film as this will be needed to enclose the roll to seal until ready to serve.

Now add the strips of smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Having laid out the Nori sheet onto either cling film, or preferably cling film lined bamboo sheet, using tips of fingers, press out a thin layer of sushi rice leaving uncovered strips top and bottom as shown in both images above, before adding avocado and other fillings.