Sushi Basics

A highly simplified guide to DIY sushi....

The Rice...

Learn to get it right! The highest quality seafood will be wasted if served with improperly cooked or seasoned sushi rice. Simple ingredients will taste terrific when paired with well made sushi rice.

1) Use a Japanese type short grain white rice.

2) Wash the rice until the water runs clear

3) Cook the rice with the correct amount of water for the specified time. Using a rice cooker with it's own measuring cup/instructions virtually guarantees perfect rice every time.

4) After cooking, take the warm rice and season it with sushi rice seasoning (do NOT cook the rice in the seasoning!!) Premixed sushi seasoning is easy as it contains vinegar, salt and sugar in the proper proportions.

Fold the seasoning in gently, and do not "mash" the rice. You can cool the rice by fanning it but this is not neccesary.

5) Ready to Roll!!

The Rolling....

 Full sheet of nori with rice on the inside

 

Place the nori (seaweed) sheet on top of the sushi rolling mat. Add a thin layer of sushi rice and whatever ingredients you want inside your roll. If you prefer rolls with rice on the outside flip the nori and rice over and then add the filling to the nori side.

Half sheet of nori with rice on the outside

 If you like "hosomaki" (thin/smaller rolls) use a half sheet of nori.

     Full size "futomaki" rolls (top) or make hosomaki (thin rools) with 1/2 nori sheet

Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to cut the rolls. You should end up with 8 even pieces/roll. Keep the cuts clean by wiping the knife blade after each cut.

              Practice will make perfect when it comes to cleanly cut, even sushi pieces!

                                           Looking good and ready to serve.....

Nigiri Sushi....

Nigiri sushi is "piece sushi", with various toppings placed on top of a small "finger" of rice.

                         "Sake" is salmon nigiri sushi (sake is also an alcoholic beverage)
Form a small ball of rice on the palm of your hand. Keep your hands moist so the rice does not stick and do not use too much pressure.

 Top the rice with your favourite topping. This could be raw or cooked seafood, tamago (savoury omelette) or even veggies.

Traditionally, a Japanese sushi Chef would add as much wasabi as he thought was needed between the rice and the topping. Most non-Japanese prefer to add wasabi to soy sauce and dip their sushi to their own taste. Pickled ginger is used to cleanse the palate between different kinds of sushi.

Mori Mori has everything to make sushi! Wild salmon and sustainable BC Albacore tuna are available along with octopus, squid and other items. Pre sliced seafood is easy to use; just thaw, slice and serve. Open 7 days a week, enter off Lansdowne Street!