Sushi Rice, the Secret Behind Delicious Sushi I am finally delivering on my promise to talk about seasoned vinegar (sushi-su) and sushi rice (sumeshi).  Sushi rice, or rice dressed with a seasoned vinegar, is an essential component of a variety of sushi dishes.  In fact, sushi wouldn’t be sushi without this rice.  If you are serving slices of fresh uncooked fish without any sushi rice, you are serving sashimi!  My experience is that semi-decent sushi can be ruined by bad sushi rice.  If you can make good sushi rice, there is no reason why you can’t make delicious sushi at home! Sushi Rice Tips & Tricks Use polished (white) short-grain Japanese rice (japonica) or medium-grain California rice.  These types of rice are often labeled as sushi rice or Calrose rice at the store here in the US. Wash your rice to get rid of the starchy powder that clings to the grains. This starchy powder will prevent proper absorption of the sushi-su and give you less than perfect rice. 

To wash rice, place your measured rice into a bowl and cover it with fresh cold water.  Use your hand to swish and stir the rice around and then carefully drain the water (I use a fine-mesh strainer to do this).  Repeat this process until the water runs clear. If you eat a lot of rice, a rice cooker is a wonderful investment because it eliminates timing problems, makes perfect rice, and many cookers offer a warming function that keeps rice fresh ahd warm for 24 hours.  My favorite that I’ve personally used is Zojirushi’s Neuro Fuzzy Logic.  But again, it’s an investment! It is best to mix the seasoned vinegar with the cooked rice  in a sushi-oke or an unvarnished wooden bowl, but you can also use a wide shallow glass or ceramic bowl.  I use a wide shallow glass mixing bowl, because that is what I have on hand.  Do not, however, use an aluminum bowl, as this type of bowl will retain heat differently and give the rice a metallic taste. Prepared sushi rice should be stored at cool room temperature, covered with a moist cloth or plastic wrap.

It will keep this way for up to 12 hours.  Do not refrigerate it or freeze it, as this destroys the texture. How to Make Sushi-su (Seasoned Vinegar for Sushi Rice) There are many recipes for sushi-su (seasoned vinegar), but all use the same basic components: rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.  Some recipes also through in a small piece of kombu, which adds more depth of flavor, but this is optional.  I prefer my sushi-su to be not as sweet as some.  Once you make your own, you can adjust the sugar to suit your personal taste!  This recipe makes 1 cup of sushi-su.  I like to make extra sushi-su so that I can use it as a salad dressing (you can add some sesame or olive oil, but I like it without).  It is delicious tossed with baby arugula and then sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. The sushi-su to rice proportions that I like to use are: 3 cups cooked rice: use 1/4 – 1/3 cup sushi-su 4 cups cooked rice: use 1/2 – 2/3 cup sushi-su 5 cups cooked rice: use 2/3 – 1 cup sushi-su

Sushi-Su (Seasoned Vinegar for Sushi Rice) 1 cup rice vinegar 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 piece kombu, 2-inches square (optional) Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and kombu in a small saucepan.  Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.  When the mixture is clear, remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool.  jiro dreams of sushi streaming megavideoDiscard the piece of kombu.  sushi samurai game cbcSushi-su can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.sushi cat 3 armor How to Make Sushi Ricebuy sashimi grade fish sydney

1. Transfer the freshly cooked hot rice to a wide shallow bowl.  Pour a small amount of the sushi-su evenly over the rice.  Toss the rice by gently cutting into it vertically with your rice paddle (or spatula), and then lifting the rice and turning it over.  As you do this, fan the rice with a hand fan or piece of cardboard (or get someone to help you).  Add more of the sushi-su and continue the cutting, folding, and fanning process.  how to eat sushi huffington postFanning the rice facilitates quick cooling, which gelatinizes the surface of the rice and gives a glossy finish to the rice.   sushi grade fish canadaTowards the end, taste the rice occasionally to decide how much of you sushi-su you want to add.sushi online sklep

2. Cover the seasoned rice with a moist cloth or plastic wrap until ready to use. Now that you’ve got delicious sushi rice, you can start making sushi! Here are some ideas to get you started: Smoked Salmon, Creeam Cheese, & Jalapeno Temaki Sushi FM’s Quick & Easy Chirashi Sushi See the blog Sushi Day for more yummy ideas! Previous post: A Weekend in the Woods—Camp Blogaway May 2010 Next post: Miso Pickled Garlic (Ninniku Miso-zuke)—All you need is 3 ingredients and a glass jar!Skip to main content You are hereHomeMore about onigiri: keeping them fresh and more More about onigiri: keeping them fresh and moreFood & DrinkCookingFood PreparationSushi Rice You might think rice is rice, but making sushi rice takes a special touch (and a lot of steps!). Because the rice is such an important part of any sushi dish, don’t forego the sushi-rice preparation. Special sushi tools: Rice cooker, sushi paddle, sushi tub Preparation time: About 1 1/2 hours

Cooking time: About 25 minutes Yield: 5 to 6 cups 2 cups short- or medium-grain white rice 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2-inch square piece of dashi konbu 1 tablespoon sake, or to taste Remove the inner pot from the rice cooker, placing the raw rice into it. Fill the inner pot with enough cold water to cover the rice. Swirl the rice around in the pot, using an opened hand, for 5 or 6 seconds. As silly as it sounds, rinse the rice gently. Dry rice grains are brittle. Wait a second or two until the rice settles down and then carefully pour off the cloudy water. Never let the rice soak in this milky water, or the cooked rice won’t taste fresh. Rinse the rice three or more times, until the water is almost clear. Add 2 cups water to the rice. Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir it continuously for a minute or two, until the mixture goes from cloudy to clear.

Clarity indicates that the sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked. You can refrigerate this mixture for several days, but you don’t want to pour cold dressing over the hot rice, so return it to room temperature before using. Wipe off the dashi konbu with a damp paper towel or run it quickly under tap water. Cut a few slits in the sides of the dashi konbu. These slits help release its flavors. Add the dashi konbu and sake to the rice right before you cook it. Place the inner pot in the rice cooker base. Plug in the cooker and turn it on. The rice cooker takes it from here, turning off (or down) at the appropriate time. When the rice is done, let it rest for 15 minutes. Don’t remove the lid! Moisten the sushi paddle and the sushi tub with water. Wetting the tools helps keep the cooked rice from sticking. Remove the dashi konbu from the rice. It’s edible, so you can mince it for use in soups or salads, or you can discard it.

Run the damp paddle down and around the rice pot to loosen the rice. Invert the rice pot over the sushi tub, causing the cooked rice to fall into it. Sometimes, the rice falls out in a perfect cake form, and other times, it crumbles. It doesn’t matter which way it comes out. Slowly pour the rice vinegar dressing over the rice paddle onto the hot rice, moving the paddle around over the rice as you do so. Wait a few seconds, giving the rice time to absorb most of the rice vinegar dressing. A little of the dressing may puddle out under the rice. Spread the rice into a thin, even layer by using the rice paddle in a cutting motion, separating the chunks of rice.Simply cut through it, trying not to mash the rice. This process takes about 1 minute. Turn the rice over gently, in small portions, allowing steam to escape, for about 1 minute. Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning as you do so. Stop fanning when there’s no more visible steam.