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Nigiri Sushi (The
standard sushi)
Making traditional nigiri sushi (finger sushi) is actually quite simple. Moisten
your hands. This necessary any time you will be working with sushi rice to
enable you to handle it without it sticking to your hands and making the task of
shaping impossible. Take enough rice to slightly fill the palm of your hand
(perhaps the size of a very small egg) when it is closed and form it into a
thick rectangle with rounded edges approximately 2 inches long by 1 inch high
and wide by pressing the sides. You may roll the rice around in your hand a bit but be careful not to
press too hard as we do want to retain some of the air that has been
incorporated into the rice into the final product. If you press too much it will
be too dense and not have the right mouth feel. Once you have the 'bed' shaped
it is your choice as to whether you want to place a dab of wasabi on it before
the neta (fish). If you are not a fan of wasabi you may omit this step. You
should have your fish or whichever topping you choose prepared for placement on
the rice. Fish should be cut against the grain in a relatively thin slice just large
enough to ever so slightly drape over the edges of the rice bed. Traditionally,
the neta is 2 inches long, 3/4 of an inch wide, and 1/8 of an inch thick. Of course it is
certainly your choice if you would like your neta to be giant, however the
traditional itamae have always striven for balance when preparing sushi, which
has resulted in the a conservative amount of fish. But you are home and if you
feel like it... go for it! Some restaurants that I have been to try innovative
cuts to make things interesting, but for the beginner, a simple rectangle of
fish will suffice. But feel free to experiment as you become more comfortable.
Once the fish is in place you will have made your first piece of nigiri sushi.
Occasionally an itamae will wrap a thin piece of
nori around the piece to finish
it off (common with items such as scallops, for example). This is done by cutting a
piece of nori in a strip approximately 1/2-3/4 of an inch wide and about 3-4
inches long (depending on how thick your nigiri sushi is). It is then wrapped around the center of the sushi item, closing on
the bottom. It may not stick to itself right away and if not, just rub on it a
little bit and the moisture from the rice should do the trick. Voila! Fancy
sushi. You can use just about any topping that you can think of, so by no means
restrict yourself to fish. Just remember to keep the neta small enough so that
it can easily fit in your mouth without difficulty. While traditional nigiri
sushi is eaten in one bit, no one will look down upon you if you make it two.
Gunkan
Maki (battleship roll)
While called 'maki' I thought to include this item in the nigiri sushi section
as it does in fact closely resemble that style. There are some foods that are
not easily placed on a bed of rice.
Uni (sea urchin) and various types of roe,
such as salmon roe (ikura) and
tobiko. These items essentially need a 'cup' to
contain the contents. This is accomplished by starting with the same type of
rice bed that is used with traditional nigiri sushi, however not quite as long.
However, once the bed is made, you will need a piece of nori that has been cut
first in half, and then crosswise into strips that are approximately one inch
wide. the nori is then wrapped around the rice to form a cup. The moisture from
the rice should allow the nori to stick to itself and seal, if not, again, just
give it a little rub. you then make sure the rice bed is flat and has enough
room to hold your filling. anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch should suffice,
depending on your preference (I go for 3/4 personally, I love that uni!).
This style of sushi allows for some interesting
combinations. One of my all time favorite pieces, and I order it for me
'dessert' almost without exception is
tobiko with a raw quail egg cracked over
the top. It may sound odd, but the combination really works well. I often order
two and have someone else at the table eat the other. Sometimes I make a
convert, but a raw egg is not for everybody. My point is that it is good to
experiment with what you feel comfortable. Be as crazy or conservative as you
want, it is the making sushi at home bit that is the most exciting part. The
natural enjoyment of your food will follow.
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