Why not make sushi at home? The UK's only exclusive supplier of sushi grade fish Experience the real thing from only £9.99 Friendly Sushi Making Classes From The Wonderful Yuki Ready to eat, only available from Kazari Combining technology and tradition to produce perfect fish just for sushi We Import, distribute and supply the country's most highly acclaimed establishments Sushi Essentials & ExtrasSince most sushi or sashimi includes raw seafood ingredients, it is essential to know how to select the correct fish, and how to keep it fresh. Proper food-safety precautions are the key to creating good sushi, as this will minimise the risk of foodborne illnesses associated with eating raw fish. Raw fish is not something to be afraid of. Virtually every fish or sea creature is edible, it’s just that not every fish can be eaten raw. Knowing which sources are safe is the best place to start when choosing your sushi ingredients. Other fish that are commonly used include: squid, gizzard shad (kohada), mackerel, sea bass, porgies, and snapper.

However, these typically need to be treated before being eaten raw. As a general rule, it’s worth noting that fish farmed in the USA, Norway, Britain, New Zealand, Canada or Japan should be safe to eat. These countries have strict standards in regards to cleanliness and are typically free from parasites. Parasites are a fact of life when it comes to meat of any sort, that’s why we tend to cook most of our foods. Parasites of concern are cod worms, seal worms, and tapeworms. Cod worms are typically found in cod, haddock and hake, hence why you never see these fish on a sushi menu. Seal worms can be found in salmon, jacksmelt and herring, but can be easily removed. Tapeworms are the nastiest of the creatures and are found in freshwater fish, such as wild trout or largemouth bass. Never, ever eat these fish raw. ‘Sushi-grade’ fish is the term given to fish that shows it is safe to prepare and eat raw. Sushi-grade fish is caught quickly, bled upon capture, gutted soon after, and iced thoroughly.

Known parasitic fish, such as salmon, should be frozen at 0°F for 7 days or flash-frozen at -35°F for 15 hours. This will kill any parasites, making the fish safe for consumption. It may sound strange to eat fish that’s been frozen raw, but most sushi restaurants use fish that has arrived heavily iced. As nice as it would be to think that the sashimi you’re eating has come off a boat just hours before, the reality is that this is rarely true. sushi west hampstead yuzuThe good news is though, providing it’s of good quality, fish that’s been frozen can still taste great.alessi sushi lighter buy There’s another benefit to using frozen fish when making your own sushi, and that is cost. jiro dreams of sushi kijken

Frozen fish is far more economical, plus it means you can keep it on hand for whenever you get a sushi or sashimi craving. For best results, try to look for individually quick frozen (IQF) products, and unwrap the fish before placing in the fridge to thaw. If you’re choosing to use fresh fish, always use your nose before selecting. If the fish smells funny, don’t eat it. Fish should have a light, natural fishy smell and should not be at all offensive. Ideally, you want to buy fish that is still swimming in a tank when you select it, such as fish found in specialty seafood markets. You also want to buy in season, as certain fish have particular harvesting seasons. Eating raw fresh fish is all about timing. If you buy fresh fish, use it that day. Don’t stock up a day in advance, and always consume within two days. If the fish has cloudy eyes or feels mushy to touch, it’s best to avoid it. It’s worth noting that colour is not directly correlated with freshness, as many farms use colouring processes to make their fish look more appealing.

The bright red colour of tuna sometimes found in a fish store doesn’t have to mean it’s fresher than the chocolatey-brown tuna, it simply means that it went through a process called ‘cold smoking’, in which the tuna is exposed to carbon monoxide to create a red finish. The same goes for bright pink or orange salmon, which could be a result of food colouring pellets being in their fish food. Be careful that these processes haven’t been done to disguise older-than-should-be fish. When buying shelled fish, avoid any with broken shells, as once broken they can begin to spoil quickly. Follow these tips and you should be on your way to creating a delicious homemade sushi!I say sushi, you think raw fish. This, perhaps, is the reason why the Japanese delicacy, unlike the noodle or the stir-fry, has not become a staple of British home cooking. But all that is about to change – at least if Yuki Gomi, 37, a Japanese sushi chef living in London, has anything to do with it. “In Japan, going to a sushi restaurant costs hundreds of pounds and is a real treat,” she says when we meet at her flat in Crystal Palace, south-east London.

“But Japanese people make it at home all the time, usually without raw fish.” When a Japanese family goes for a picnic, sushi will always make an appearance – but smoked fish will also be used, which is less likely to spoil (salmon and mackerel are favourites). Children take sushi to school in their lunch boxes, made with tinned tuna. There are vegetarian options, including tamagoyaki, grilled egg sushi. “If you want to go the whole way and use raw fish,” says Gomi, “there are safe ways of doing it. If you have the confidence, you can make friends with a local fishmonger and get him to promise you that the fish can be eaten raw. But the easiest way is to buy sushi-grade fish on the internet.” She recommends Kazari, which will deliver guaranteed sushi-grade fish to your door. Sushi is easy to make, extremely healthy and highly portable. It is also flexible; there are, Gomi says, “no rules”, and new combinations of fish or vegetables are waiting to be discovered. And when it is home-made, sushi can also be an impressive addition to a party.

“It is simple, so long as you are precise,” she says. “Architects and surgeons make the best sushi.” Yuki Gomi encourages home cooks to find sushi-grade fish online (HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY) Before thinking about the fish, however, it is important to get the rice right. It must be Japanese – which refers to the species rather than the country of origin – because it is high in starch, which makes it stickier than other varieties. Techniques for cooking perfect rice are closely guarded secrets for many Japanese chefs. Gomi, however, being “of a younger generation”, is happy to share her method, which she learnt from the masters (see right). When the rice is ready, the creative part begins. First, Gomi demonstrates how to make temari. “When you go to a restaurant, you’ll probably have nigiri, rectangular slabs of rice with salmon or tuna on top,” she says. “Shaping the rice like that takes years of practice. Temari is the traditional home-made version, which is a lot easier.”

Cutting a fillet of raw salmon is an art in itself (she points out that smoked salmon, mackerel or kipper can be substituted). Gomi uses a traditional yanagi-ba sushi knife, which is flat on one side and very thin; The trick, she says, is to hold your breath and make the cut in one movement, as if you are playing a violin. When the fish is sliced, she covers her left hand with cling film – an improvement on the traditional muslin – and lies a sliver of fish in the centre. A bolus of rice is placed on top, then the cling film is closed around it and twisted to make a tight sphere. When this is unwrapped, a ball-shaped piece of sushi is revealed, which can be garnished with sesame seeds, a sprig of parsley, or fish roe (tobiko). Next, she makes the “inside-out roll”, also known as the “California roll”. For centuries, Japanese sushi roll had the nori (seaweed paper) on the outside. When it was introduced to California, however, the local chefs preferred to roll the sushi inside out so that the rice was on the outside.

This was later exported back to Japan. She places a sheet of nori – she recommends the type produced by Clearspring (clearspring.co.uk) – on a board and covers it with a layer of rice. The rice is sprinkled with roe or sesame seeds, turned upside down onto a bamboo mat (available from Tesco, £1.99) and covered with cling film, before arranging the salmon and avocado, rolling, and slicing with a light sawing motion. Lastly, Gomi introduces the temaki sushi, which she says is a great informal party option. In a large bowl, she mixes scallops, flying fish roe, mayonnaise and avocado. This, together with a bowl of sushi rice and another of sliced vegetables, is placed on the table with a stack of nori. Guests add the filling to the nori and roll it into a cone for instant, do-it-yourself sushi. “When I was a child and my mother said we were going to have sushi, I was always filled with excitement,” says Gomi. “I want to bring some of that excitement to Britain.” ’Sushi at Home’, by Yuki Gomi, is out now (Fig Tree; £18.99)