posted by ms cesar 12-04-99 10:21 AM
Nigiri Sushi
Makes 8 servings, about 4 dozen pieces.
4 cups Sushi Rice (recipe to follow)
2 lbs. tuna, squid, or sea bream (one or all), without skin.
1 Tbsp finely grated wasbi horseradish. (Or prepared wasabi)
tezu (hand vinegar)
2 tsps rice vinegar
6 Tbsps. water
Serve with Soy sauce and Vinegared Ginger
Prepare the sushi rice (recipe above)
Use the freshest fish fillets or shell fish, of the same cuts and quality used for sashimi. With a sharp knife, cut fillets crosswise at a slight angle into slices about 1/8 inch thick (1/4 inch thick for tuna). Wrap in a kitchen towel, do not refrigerate. Assemble as soon as possible.
Moisten your hand with hand vinegar and pick up a small amount of rice. Press the rice with equal but gentle pressure on all sides while turning in the palm of your hand. Do not mash the rice. Form a rectangular shape.
Smear a dab of wasabi on the center of a slice of fish. Press fish and rice together.
Variation: Shrimp Nigiri Sushi
Shrimp must be parboiled. Use medium to large shrimp. To keep shrimp from curling, skewer with a toothpick lengthwise just inside legs. Drop into lightly salted simmering water and simmer over medium heat 3 minutes, till just pink and firm. Plunge into cold water. Remove toothpicks, remove shell but leave tail attached. Devein. Cut the shrimp about 3/4 of the way through and then gently flatten out. Apply pressure with a knife to flatten even more
Sushi Rice
3 1/3 cups short grain rice, washed
4 cups water
3 inch (8-cm) square giant kelp (konbu)
Dressing:
5 Tbsps plus 1 tsp rice vinegar
5 Tbsps sugar
4 tsps. sea salt
Place rice and water in rice cooker or heavy bottomed pot. Wipe the kelp (konbu) clean with a damp cloth. You may slash with a knife in a few places to enable flavors to be released more completely. Place kelp on top of rice in water.
Cover and heat over medium heat just until the boiling point. When just boiling, remove and discard the kelp. Cover tightly, boil over high heat for 2 minutes, then turn heat down to med and boil for 5 min. more. Reduce heat and to very low and cook for 15 min or until all the water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and let stand (on burner), with pot lid wrapped in a kitchen towel, 10 to 15 minutes.
Have the dressing prepared. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar over low heat. Let cool, or force cool by placing mixture in a metal bowl and twirling the bowl in a bath of water and ice.
To Toss Rice:
Using a flat woodin spoon or rice paddle, spread the hot rice in a thin layer in a wide and shallow wooden or plastic bowl. To keep grains separate toss rice with horizontal cutting strokes. This lateral motion will also keep grains from getting bruised or mashed.
While tossing sprinkle dressing over rice. You may not have to use all of the dressing. Be careful not to add so much that the rice becomes mushy.
At the same time you are tossing, have a helper fan the rice with a hand fan or folded newspaper to cool the rice quickly. Tossing and fanning takes about 10 min. Rice should be room temperature.
To keep vinegared rice from drying out, when it has cooled to room temperature, place in container and cover with a damp cloth. Vinegared rice should be eaten the same day it is prepared. It does not keep more than one day. Traditionally it should not be refrigerated.