More and more often dishes from different cuisines of the world appear on our tables. Oriental (Japanese) cuisine was no exception. The most striking example of this is sushi. Every year they are gaining more and more popularity among our compatriots. And the question of how to cook sushi at home becomes relevant for a large number of housewives. In fact, the cooking process is quite simple, you just need to say “fill your hand”. And the question of how to make sushi, without special equipment, is no longer as acute as before. In modern hypermarkets and specialty stores there are all the necessary devices and products.
To answer the question "How to cook sushi", you must first determine the type of sushi. There are four main types.
- Norimaki - this type is a rice wrapped in special dried seaweed (nori) , with the addition of other ingredients in the middle.
- Osi-zushi - pressed, laid out in the form of a slide rice, on which fish (salted or smoked) is placed on top.
- Nigiri-zushi - a kind of rice "fingers" with a variety of seafood or an omelet placed on top.
- Chirasi-zushi - represent rice laid out in special bowls, additional ingredients can be laid out on top or mixed with rice.
At home, of these four types, it is most difficult to cook nigiri, since they require special skills, and with the other three types, basically, there are no problems. But, regardless of the type, correctly selected and prepared ingredients are the key to successful cooking.
Before you look for the answer to the question "How to cook sushi", you need to stock up on products and equipment that will be needed in the cooking process. So, going to a supermarket or a specialized store, feel free to purchase:
- packaging of Japanese rice (labeled “for sushi”);
- nori (dried seaweed in the form of sheets);
- wasabi (special Japanese seasoning - powdered (diluted with water) or in finished form);
- pickled ginger;
- sauce marked “for sushi” (vinegar-based seasoning);
- soy sauce;
- filling for sushi (shrimp, salted, smoked or dried fish (salmon, eel, trout), cucumbers, bell peppers, avocados, etc.);
- bamboo mat.
So how to make sushi. First you need to properly prepare the main component - rice. Pour it into a large bowl and rinse until the water becomes clear. We strain and leave for an hour. Pour cold water into the pan (for 400 grams of rice for sushi 500 ml of water) and send rice there. Before boiling, cook over high heat, then reduce the heat to the smallest and cook under the lid until water boils out (about 20-30 minutes). Remove the rice from the heat and leave for another 10 minutes, do not open the lid. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the salt and sugar in rice vinegar (4.5 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 0.5 tablespoons of salt). Pour rice from the pan into a bowl and pour over cooked rice vinegar with sugar and salt. Stir with a wooden spatula, while it is necessary to cool the rice as quickly as possible (you can use a fan or a fan). Rice is ready for further manipulation.
I suggest, for starters, prepare the simplest sushi. For example, axis zushi with salmon. To prepare it, we need rice cooked in the above way, smoked salmon, shape (any rectangular box is suitable), cling film.
We fix the form with cling film, lay thinly sliced salmon slices on the bottom, pour rice on the top (about 2 - 2.5 cm), cover everything with a film and carefully crush with your hands. We take out the zushi axes from the box, carefully unwind the film and cut portioned slices with a sharp knife. Ready oshizushi decorate with herbs. If desired, you can make several layers by adding your favorite ingredients.
Making sushi at home is not so difficult, the main thing is to have the desire and the necessary ingredients. As for the combination of products, here you can safely fantasize or peek at the sushi bar (often the menu contains a list of ingredients that make up a dish).