I figured with all of the cooking threads here lately, I'd throw one together on sushi and some basic Japanese cuisine. Plus it'll give me a chance to play with my new digital camera (which the viewfinder is cockeyed on, so a lot of the pics aren't centered that well). Post any question you have here and I'll try answering them (I've been rolling for 7 or 8 years now, so I like to think I am fairly knowledgable). Also feel free to post your own recipes here.

I go for a more traditional approach when it comes to my cooking; I realize that there may be better/faster ways to go about things (which you are free to practice on your own), however I am a strong believer in getting back what you put in it. For example, whereas some people will just cool their rice in a fridge or something, I hand-cool mine so I can control how dried out it gets. Also sushi does take a bit of trial and error to get right. Just keep at it and learn from your mistakes.

As for the ingredients, you can find most of this stuff at any major supermarket. If you can't find the stuff there, try a global foods store, or a specialty market. When buying fish, make sure you get the freshist possible.

Equipment:

You'll need the standard stuff like pots and pans with lids, strainers, spoons, etc. Also you will need a sharp knife, and I emphasize Sharp. If you really get into making sushi, you'll notice that a lot of the food preparation requires fast and precise cuts. One specialized piece of equipment you do need is a bamboo rolling mat; cheap ones can be purchased at a specialty food store (the one I'm using here cost me $1.50). Although it takes a while to get used to, I prefer using a pair of cooking chopsticks rather than any other utensil when cooking.

Sticky Rice:

1 cup of Short Grain Rice
1 and 1/8 cup of Water
1 sheet Kombu (kelp)
1/4 cup of Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
salt


Step 1. Washing the rice:

Put the rice in a strainer and place it in a bowl of cold water. Gently sift through the rice - the water will become cloudy with the starch.

Dump the dirty water out periodically. Keep doing this until the water stays clear.

After it's washed, let the rice sit for 30 mins.

Step 2. Cooking the rice:

Place the rice in a pot and add the water. You can also add a piece of konbu if you choose. Put the lid on and bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Do not lift your lid up, just listen for the sound of the water boiling. (I got it easy with my clear lids) Let it boil for four or five minutes. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 10 more minutes. Finally take it off of the heat and let it sit for another ten minutes. I urge you NOT to lift the lid at any point - you will release all the steam and your rice won't get done.


Step 3. Cooling the rice:

Heat the vinegar until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let it cool. Place the rice into either a wooden or porcelin bowl. Pour a little of the vinegar mixture over a wooden spoon into the rice. Slice into the rice with the spoon to help coat and break up the rice. Keep doing this until you used all the mixture. Gently fan the rice with a piece of cardboard to cool it down. Keep folding the rice with your spoon until it gets a glossy look to it and is room temperature.


California Roll

1 Cucumber
1 Avocado
Immitation Crabmeat (I prefer using the sticks over the chunks)
Mayonaise
Sesame Seeds
bowl of cold water with 1/4 cup of Rice Vinegar dilluted in it
1 sheet of Nori (seaweed)
1 portion of Sticky Rice

Preparing the filling:

Cucumber: Take the cucumber and cut out a 2 inch segment. Cut the skin off of one side.

Continue to slice thin strips until you hit the seeds. Rotate the cucumber (flat edge on the cutting board) and repeat. Take the strips and layer a few up, and cut lengthwise.


Avocado: Cut the ends off of the avocado. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise around the pit. Twist to separate the ends. The skin should peel off leaving the meat of the halve intact. CUt it lengthwise into slices;

and if you have a larger avocado, layer a few strips up and cut them in half (around the inside of the curve).

Crabmeat: Just take a segment and cut it in half lengthwise.


Making the Roll:

Take the sheet of nori and cut 1/3 off of it lengthwise - a whole sheet will produce sushi so gigantic that it could damage the very fabric of time itself. Dip your hands in the water, take a handful of rice and place it in the center of the nori. Start spreading it out - your goal is to cover the entire piece of nori with a thin layer of rice (just thick enough so that the nori is completely covered). Try not to squish the rice down either - you want it to be able to see the grains of rice, not just a sheet of paste. Once done, sprinkle some sesame seeds across the rice.


Wrap your rolling mat in seran wrap. Flip the nori sheet onto the mat so that the short side is perpendicular to bamboo rods, and that the rice is facing down. Take some mayo and spoon it across the upper third of the nori - you don't want any big gobs in there, just enough for some flavor. Take your crab, cucumber and avocado and arrange so that it is similar to the pic below (the cucumber is under the avocado).


This is hard to explain, so try to follow the best you can. Also, you need both hands so I can't really take pictures of the entire process. Start rolling by lifting the mat with your thumbs and holding the ingredients with your fingers. Roll the mat so that the ends of the nori meet (the top end should overlap on the bottom end just a bit) - keep the end of the mat rolled up and out of the way so that it doesnt get caught up in the sushi.

Once you have the ends of the sushi together, gently press and shape the log - don't squeeze the roll or press to hard, otherwise your fillings will squirt out. Once it is round, unroll the mat and the plasti-wrap.

Roll the sushi over so that where the two ends are sealed is facing the bottom and cut the sushi into 8 equal-sized sections. Dip your knife-blade in cold water before each cut.

Hand Formed Sushi:

1 portion of Sticky Rice
6 large Shrimp
Wasabi Paste
bowl of cold water with 1/4 cup of Rice Vinegar dilluted in it

Preparing the Shrimp:

Take a skewer insert it into the bottom of the shrimp, between the flesh and the shell; you don't want to actually pierce the shrimp at all.

Place it in boiling water for about 3 minutes until pink. Once cooled, peel the shell off, but leave the tail intact. Slice along the belly of the shrimp until you reach the vein (upside-down butterflying). Scrape out the vein, and finally trim the tail.


Making the Sushi:

Dip your hands in the water and pick up a ball of rice, about the size of an egg. Gently press the rice into an oval. You do not want to squish the rice together: the rice should be compact enough to hold its shape, but loose enough to break apart in your mouth. Place the ball onto your table and continue to shape and neaten it. Take a small dab of wasabi and place it on each rice ball - gently spread it. Place the shrimp on top of the rice and mold it to fit neatly on the top.



Oriental Salad:



Spring Mix
Grilled Chicken Chunks
Almonds
Rice Noodles
Madarine Oranges

Just mix the ingredients together in a bowl and top with the dressing. Refrigerate an hour before serving.


Dressing:

1/4 cup - Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup - Rice Vinegar
3 Tbsp - Sugar
2 Tbsp - Soy Sauce
1 tsp - grated Gingerroot
2 Tbsp - Sesame Seeds

Mix all the ingredients until the oil and vinegar become one.


Tako:


1 medium Octopus
2 1/2 inch section of Cucumber
1 medium sized Red Pepper
1 White Onion
4 Tbsp of ground Gingerroot
4 cloves of garlic (diced)
2 cans Coconut Milk
1 cup Water
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup Green Onion (sliced thin)
Cayenne Pepper to taste


Preparation:

Cucumbers: Slice the cucumbers in the same fashion as you would for the california roll; but make them a little bit thicker, around 1/4 inch thick.

Red Pepper: Slice the pepper in half and trim out the seeds. Cut the top and bottom off so you have a fairly rectangular halve. Slice this into thin strips. Repeat for the other halve.

Onion: Cut the ends off of the onion, and then cut vertically in half. Peel, and place so the flat end is on the cutting board. With the bottom/top facing you, slice about a 1/2 of an inch off and discard. Continue to slice the remaining onion into thin strips, until you get the last 1/2 inch - discard this (this is so you don't get a big fat piece from the curve).



Octopus: Soak in water for about an hour.

Give it a salt bath - take salt and rub it into the tentacles to help get all the dirt out of it. Rinse off well. If your octopus comes with the head attached, cut it off so that you have only the base and tentacles. Make sure you rip out the beak and viscera that is attached in the middle. Bring the octopus, coconut milk, water, and 2 tbsp of ginger to a boil. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the octopus is tender. Cut the tenticles into bite-sized pieces.

Cooking:

Add some oil in a pan and saute the garlic and remaining ginger for about 5 minutes. Add your onions and peppers - saute until just about tender. Sprinkle the cayenne pepper over it. Add the cucumber and octopus - cook for about 5 minutes more. Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar together and add it to the octopus. Cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with thinly sliced cucumber strips.



Clear Soup with Octopus, Egg, and Shitake Mushrooms:

4 cups of Dashi (Japanese stock)
1/2 lb octopus
2 eggs (beaten)
handful of Spinach
1/2 ounce dried Shitake mushrooms
Soy sauce
Sake

Seasoning the Mushrooms:

Soak the mushrooms in a 1/2 cup of water for 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms and liquid to 1/2 a cup of boiling chicken stock and let simmer covered for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid (I save just a little bit for my soup just to add some extra flavor (1/4 cup). Slice the mushrooms.

Making the Dashi:

Take a postcard sized sheet of kombu and with a moist rag, gently blot it. Make a few cuts in it to help release the flavor. Add 4 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Discard the kombu, and add a handful of bonito fish flakes. Bring back to a boil, and then strain through a cheesecloth. Return the broth back to the stove and let it simmer for 10 more minutes.

Making the Soup:

Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces and add it to the Dashi. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Add your mushrooms and spinach. Continue to simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the spinach is cooked. Take the eggs, and pour through a wire sieve into the soup; gently stir so the eggs separate. Add soy sauce and sake to flavor the soup.


Ok, I think thats enough for now. If this thread takes off, I'll continue to post more recipes as I do them.

Edit: Trying to figure out why my pics turned to links

GodsMullet fucked around with this message at Feb 25, 2005 around 06:31