Homemade Sushi?

debtmustgo

Thanks everyone,
looks like it's not as difficult as i'd thought. I live in Scotland in a main city so i'm going to google it today and see if i can find a Japanese/Chinese store nearby.
On average we can spend up to £50 in a sushi restaurant (including wine of course) but i've come to my senses and i won't be wasting my money anymore..
Can't wait now to try this out, it looks relatively easy and low fat :T

Floyd thanks for the link its very helpful..

:beer: x

debtmustgo

Thanks for moving this, now a big thread on sushi making FANTASTIC!!! :j :j
I've been wanting to try this for years, now i have the know how :dance:

x

baby_fuzz

some people are talking about sushi mats etc. If you don't have one, or daon't want to fork out for something that you're not sure you'll use more than twice, you can always use a tea towel (folded in half), with a piece of cling film on it.

Not quite the same, but an almost-free alternative!

missbargain

OK, I make sushi regularly, I adore it, great, healthy food. What I like about it, that I can stuff myself like a pig with sushi and never put any weight on, on the contrary!

Lots of people have given some good advice, I just want to add that you should also try to buy the best rice you can afford, it makes lots of difference. It won't be right with basmati or jasmin rice, or a pudding rice, rice really is one half of the sushi experience.
I use Nishiki brand of sushi rice (the name is Japanese but it is actually from the USA), expensive, but it goes a long way. And rinse the rice in several waters really well before cooking it to remove the starch and once its cooked let it sit for about 10 minutes covered under the lid to settle. Helps take away the stoginess.
Japanese people use a fan to cool the rice before adding sushi vinegar mixture, it helps with the texture (you can buy the ready made sushi vinegar, but you can also make it yourself). And I find that my rice cooker is invaluable, perfect rice every time (actually, I don't know if I would have paitence to make sushi without it).
It is fiddly to start with, but once you get the hang of it, you can make it with your eyes closed. Also, make sure that you ask your fishmonger for sushi grade salmon, tuna, or whatever you like. Technically, most fish that supermarkets get is not fresh on that day (sometimes is, but often not), so it is not really suitable for eating raw. It really should be "sushi grade", which means fresh on the day. Just make sure that you check that the fish is super duper fresh.
Kikoman soy sauce is widely served in most Japanese restaurants in London, it is very nice. There are online japanese suppliers/shops that sell most ingredients.

My favourite filling is salmon, avocado and crabstick all together, I make inside out roll with it. Also, sprinkle the roll on the outside with some sesame seeds, delicioso!

P.S.

For the beginners, sushi requires time and patience, it is not good to attempt to make it if the time is in short supply. And it is very fiddly hence the reason many busy people buy ready made boxes. Heck, not only it is fiddly, but I have a million of sushi paraphernalia all over the kitchen once I finish making it, it definitely is not like making a cucumber sandwich for lunch. Having said that, it is totally worth it

debtmustgo

Hi Missbargain,
Thanks for the great advice and tips..
Where do you buy the rice from and how much is it?
Thats interesting, re asking the fishmonger for sushi grade fish, never thought about that before.. but i suppose it makes sense for it to be as fresh as..
Sounds like you're a pro at sushi making, hopefully i'll get there as i also absolutley love it! :j
x

missbargain

Hi debtmust go,

logging in quickly before work, hehe.

I use Nishiki rice, it is supposed to be the best on the market. I live in London so it is widely available in japanese supermarkets, the japan centre (by the same website, both online shop and normal shop) sells it. There is also an oriental centre in Bayswater that sells it. It really makes all the difference, as it is the right "feel" when cooked, consistency and taste. But if you can't find Nishiki, don't worry, as long as it is a good quality sushi rice, it will do.
Don't worry, it takes time, you should have seen my first rolls. They didn't look like rolls at all, they looked more like triangles! But with time and practice it really pays off, as it is much cheaper and also you control what goes in.
Yes, I ask for sushi grade, but I find in London supermarkets can't sell you sushi grade. Eg. they are not allowed to tell you it is sushi grade if it has not come from the fish market on that day. So the fishmonger is the best bet. Or lots of wasabi, hehe, kills bacteria!
Gotta go to work, if I think of something else, I'll come back!

debtmustgo

Ok, i'll have a look online and order some of the rice..
I live in Scotland, not too sure if i can get it up here, but i'll have a look..
I'm going to try and get all the "stuff" together next week and try and make it :eek: next weekend...
Wish me luck! :rotfl:
x
ps does the wasabi come as it is or do we need to make the paste thing ourselves?

sooz

I have such bad cravings for sushi now (vegetarian will have to do as I'm very pregnant). I knew I should not have opened this thread.
I want wasabi . And sushi rice, & sushi vinegar. They don't even have to be mixed!;)

So, who is going to come & look after my toddler & do my work for me, whilst I spend the next 3 hours making a bombsite of the kitchen??

baby_fuzz

debtmustgo wrote: »

Ok, i'll have a look online and order some of the rice..
I live in Scotland, not too sure if i can get it up here, but i'll have a look..
I'm going to try and get all the "stuff" together next week and try and make it :eek: next weekend...
Wish me luck! :rotfl:
x
ps does the wasabi come as it is or do we need to make the paste thing ourselves?

good luck with yoru sushi! Just remember, add the vinegar whilst the rice is hot and fan whilst stirring it in (you want it evenly distributed so that it makes it stick together!).
Oh, and don't make sushi with hot rice - that's a recipe for disaster!

You can buy wasabi ready-to-use in a tube, or as a powder that you have to make up into a paste - pretty easy either way...

missbargain

Good luck!

As baby said, it comes powdered or in the tube. Both are O.K. Yes, fan it while stiring it, if you don't have a fan, you can use a piece of cardboard or a magazine, anything that makes the air move above the rice.

And don't forget pickled ginger (japanese name Gari), it goes with sushi like ketchup goes with chips.
I think you will find the supplies in Scotland no problem. You can also order sushi making kit (a starter pack) (the "easy" rubber mat for making rolls and nigiri moulds) over the Internet. I think the site is www.mountfuji.co.uk, and on ebay I think.
It makes it a bit easier to start with (eg. the rice does not stick to the rubbery mat they sell), but in time, when you perfect your rice and technique, you can just use bamboo mats.

I have lots of sushi paraphernalia, but what I have done is free up one whole shelf in my kitchen cupboard and keep all my sushi together on one shelf. Or stuff it in some kind of container/box, so that you can access everything easily when you are ready to go. Also, you need a very sharp knife for cutting fish.
Warning: be prepared to have rice all over the kitchen (maybe even further away) the first couple of times you make it. At least that's what happened to me, God, I used to find rice grains everywhere, in my coffee maker, stuck to the dining table, on my clothes, in my hair, on my cat (at least I hope that was rice...). Eeeeeek!!!!. But after a few times, it became much more contained, phewww.