Sushi variations my way

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 nori sheets
• 2 cup(s) sushi rice (sushi rice)
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp wasabi paste or 2 tbsp wasabi powder, mixed with water
• possibly water for mixing
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp seasoning mix (Togarashi)
• 100 g salmon fillet(s) (sushi quality)
• 100 g tuna fillet(s) (sushi quality)
• 3 surimi
• ½ cucumber(s), peeled, pitted
• 1 avocado(s), pitted, without skin
• 6 large prawns, raw, without heads
• 1 slice(s) ginger, very thin, grated
• Salt
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame, black
• 2 tbsp caviar (Tobiko – fly fish caviar)
• 6 slice(s) pancakes (Japanese omelette, in my recipes)
• 2 tsp trout caviar
• 1 tbsp cress
• 2 tbsp ginger (Gari – Sushi Ginger) from the jar or homemade
• 20 ml soy sauce

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Maki, Uramaki and Nigiri

Sushi requires the use of soured rice. Raw fish isn’t mandatory. First, the vinegar is heated and thoroughly mixed with the sugar and salt. This process should be done days in advance, as the mixture improves the longer it rests. Four weeks is optimal, and the mixture doesn’t need to be refrigerated. However, once soured, rice only lasts about a day. The rice is washed until only clear water runs out. Then it is allowed to drain in a sieve for another 30 minutes. It will turn out perfectly in a rice cooker with a pinch of salt. If you don’t have a cooker, you can find detailed instructions under my “Japanese Rice” recipe in the database. Once the rice is ready, place it in a baking dish (not metal) and spread it out evenly. A Japanese wooden dish specifically designed for sushi rice is better. Then pour the vinegar mixture over the rice and work it in with a wooden spatula. Don’t stir, but pierce horizontally and turn to distribute the vinegar evenly. To prevent the rice from cooling down completely and becoming too sticky, cover it with a slightly damp cloth. By the time you use the rice, it should only be at room temperature to prevent the contents from cooking. By now, all of the ingredients should be portioned out. Cut two cucumbers each, one strand of salmon and one strand of tuna about 0.5 cm thick and the same length as the nori sheet. Pit the avocado, remove the skin, and trim into strands of equal thickness. These will need to be placed side by side later. Remove the shrimp from their shells, remove the intestines, and insert a toothpick lengthwise through each one to keep them perfectly straight. Now cook gently in the sesame oil, stir in the ginger, season lightly with salt, add a little togarashi, and set aside to cool. For maki sushi, cut the nori sheet in half and place one, rough side up, on the bottom half of a sushi mat. Spread the rice with wet hands to a thickness of about 0.5 cm and press it down, leaving 1-2 cm free at the top of the nori sheet. Place a cucumber strand in the middle and a tuna strand next to it, spreading a thin layer of wasabi on top. Roll up the nori sheet using the mat, pressing everything together quite firmly. Moisten the remaining part of the nori sheet if necessary and close the roll there. Unroll the mat again. Cut the maki roll in half and then cut into 6 pieces. The knife used for this must be of very good quality and should be rinsed with warm water after each cut. Use the other half of the nori sheet to make another roll with avocado and salmon. For uramaki sushi, wrap the nori mat in cling film, fold the nori sheet in half again, and cover it with rice, leaving 1-2 cm free on the side where the nori is placed. Turn the sheet over so that the rice is on the bottom and the free space is next to the person performing the nori. Place a cucumber strand on top, drizzle with mayonnaise, and place 3 shrimp (without toothpicks) next to it, then lightly rub them with wasabi. Roll the sheet up again and close the free space. The rice is now on the outside. Spread sesame or tobiko seeds on a plate and pull the roll through to coat it. Then cut into 6 pieces, just like for maki. Make another roll with avocado and surimi. For nigiri sushi, you don’t need a nori sheet. Take some rice and shape it with wet hands into dumplings slightly smaller than the contents of a soup spoon. Press the rice together well and place some wasabi in the center. Place a slightly overlapping piece of salmon or tuna on the rice. If there are any shrimp left, use them too, just like slices of the Japanese omelet, the tamagoyaki. If you like, you can tie them around the rice dumpling with a 1 cm wide sheet of nori. Be careful not to make the pieces too big, especially with nigiri, as each one should be eaten in one bite. Nibbling on the sushi is frowned upon. Serve on a platter or in portions per person; in this case, that’s a total of 6 sushi bites: 2 maki, 2 uramaki, and 2 nigiri. Place a small bowl of soy sauce on the side and another of gari, the sushi ginger, to neutralize the flavor. A few dollops of wasabi and mayonnaise flavored with togarashi are a must. It’s best to use chopsticks or your fingers, as a fork will quickly crumble the rice. Dip only the fish side into the soy sauce, not the rice. These portions are enough for an appetizer. If you want a proper sushi meal, double or triple all quantities. You can also use grilled meat, mackerel, eel (both cooked), smoked salmon, squid, mussels, or raw fresh white fish. This recipe is intended as a guide from an amateur chef for an amateur chef. A true sushi master with 7-10 years of training will achieve completely different results. However, the ingredients listed here are irreplaceable for creating a fundamentally authentic dish. You can get everything at an Asian store.