There is nothing I hate more than being wrong. That's why I research things to death to make sure that I am not wrong too often. When it does happen though, it's a great learning experience, like the one I just got on freezing fin fish. has just posted on my How to store fish story has inspired me to finally get off my lazy butt and write up my frozen fish experiments. I used to be of the conviction that frozen fish was ALWAYS worse than fresh. I know, I know -- Whole Foods and many fish cookbooks like to tell you that previously frozen fish can be even fresher than previously frozen fish because it was frozen at the peak of freshness. Just so that I don't have to use the "not previously frozen" terminology (that just takes too long to type), I'll use the word "fresh" to refer to fish that did not undergo the freezing process. The question I'll try to answer is , not whether it's as safe to eat. Why would I care? I can get plenty of excellent fresh fish here in Boston. The problem is that when it comes to eating fish raw, freshness is not the only thing you have to worry about.

Depending on the fish, they might pose an extremely small risk (to read all about them, see my posts on parasites, parts 1 and part 2). But if you want to eliminate that risk completely by killing the parasites, the only way to do it is to freeze the fish for at least 7 days. Cooking kills them too, of course, but that doesn't help you much with sushi. My attitude to raw fish is pretty laid back. But when I teach sushi classes, I want to give my students an extra precaution option. Some people don't want to take a risk of food-born illness, no matter how minuscule. When I am serving fin fish raw, I only use tuna, farm-raised salmon, farm-raised branzino, and farm-raised yellowtail. The only way to get yellowtail in Boston is flash frozen and shipped from Japan so parasites are not an issue for that one at all. The other fish are fresh, but the odds of them having parasites are practically zero, so I just buy them from a reputable market (The New Deal in Cambridge) and eat them. It doesn't kill bacteria, just temporarily stops it's growth, so freezing inferior fish does not make it "safe".

I used to think that all fish would be damaged by freezing. Fish is mostly made of water, and water expands during freezing. This tears the flesh of the fish and makes it mushy. To prepare for my sushi class, I froze piece after piece of different fish, and here are my findings -- different fish react to freezing differently. Fatty fish freeze relatively well, and their texture is barely affected. Lean fish turn to mush in their defrosted raw state and rubber when cooked. In these pictures, farm-raised salmon (very fatty) and fluke (very lean) were frozen the same way for the same amount of time. After defrosting, the fluke was so soft, I could turn it into a puree with a chop stick. But, salmon stayed just as resilient as it was before freezing.As a second generation Asian-American, I grew up feeling the influence of two seemingly disparate cultures. And if I’ve learned anything significant from all those years I spent grappling with a dual cultural identity, it’s this:

Doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. No one can deny that sushi has exploded in popularity in the U.S. over the past two decades and by now, has fully established itself in Western fusion cuisine. Nowadays, a little spicy tuna roll is as common as pizza or tacos.buy sushi clockIf you don’t love sushi, you probably haven’t really tried it. where can i buy fish for sushiAnd I’ve found that anyone who hasn’t had it is more than willing to try it. buy sushi online london(Well…maybe not your baby-boomer uncle Hal from back home who doesn’t know how to use chopsticks and has only experienced raw fish in the form of a juvenile college prank…)sushi order online nyc

Okay, so pretty much everyone loves sushi. No one knows how to make it. People have to get their fix from Japanese restaurants and sushi bars, which can often be overpriced. Truth is, you don’t have to be some kind of master sushi-chef to make your own sashimi rolls. You don’t even have to be a sushi-sous-chef (say that three times fast). Making sushi is actually pretty simple. And if you have all the right tools, it’s less expensive. Imagine hosting your very own sushi party, impressing friends with a huge variety of expertly crafted homemade sushi. Maybe you could even get Uncle Hal to come over and try it. “Sashimi”, in the culinary context, refers only to the raw fish component of the sushi. Generally, fish must be frozen, stored, and handled properly to make it suitable for eating raw. Don’t assume that any fresh fish you find at the market is safe to eat raw. This means you should only use seafood that is labeled “Sashimi Grade.” Some larger grocery stores may carry sashimi grade fish, but you’ll certainly find it in the seafood section of your local Asian market.

“Sushi,” of course, is the actual bite-sized final product that we’ll be making – this includes the rice, vegetables, and the sashimi itself. Here’s What You’ll Need:(Keep in mind that all of the following can be found at your friendly neighborhood Asian market) You’ll need to rinse the uncooked rice in cold water. There are several ways to do this, but here’s the simplest method: With the rice in a large pot, fill the rest with water and massage the rice with your fingers, fistfuls at a time. Drain and repeat until the water is clear. You’ll notice the water is cloudy at first, but it becomes clear after about 4 changes. Rinsing the rice before cooking is not absolutely necessary, but it removes the talc or starch that has been added in packaging (to prevent water absorption) and gives the cooked rice a presentable sheen. Remember – sushi is about presentation, too. This helpful video shows a simple way to rinse rice at the sink. Oh, you dirty, dirty rice:

How To Make Sushi Rice Let the rice soak in its final change of water (which should be clear) for about 30 minutes. While the rice is soaking, heat the vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan on medium until all the sugar and salt has dissolved, but be careful not to boil it. Once these are dissolved into the vinegar, take the mixture off of heat. Now, time to cook the rice. We’re basically steaming our rinsed rice in equal parts water (2 cups water for 2 cups rice). Cook over very low heat covered with a lid at all times. You’ll know the rice is done when the water has evaporated. This process is much easier with a rice cooker, which has only one setting and turns off automatically when the rice is done. If you’re Asian, you probably still have the one mom gave you when you went off to college. If you’re not lucky enough to have an Asian mom (but you love Asian cuisine just as much) you might want to invest in a rice cooker. They run from $40 to over $100, mostly depending on size.

While the rice is cooking, we’ll slice the sashimi and vegetables. You want everything to be in thin, long strips. I mean really thin – no bigger than half an inch thick. Before you slice the sashimi into strips, you may have to trim it down a little here and there to turn it into a manageable block. Basically, you want it all to look like french fries when you’re done. Take the cooked rice out of the pot and put it into a large mixing bowl. You’re now ready to combine your liquid vinegar seasoning with the rice. The goal is to add the seasoning while the rice cools. Using your shamoji (the rice spatula thingy), gently spread open the rice in your bowl as you slowly pour the mixture in. This seasons the rice evenly while exposing it to cool. Don’t be too forceful with the shamoji. Try to mix with a gentle spreading and folding motion in order to keep the rice grains intact. We’re only seasoning the rice here, not turning it into a paste. Who wants mushy sushi? Some people like to fan the rice to help cool it during the mixing process.

A chance to use that decorative Asian fan you have lying around! When you’re done mixing and the rice is at room temperature, we’re ready to roll! Place your bamboo mat on a counter or cutting board so that the ribbed lines run horizontally from you. Take out one sheet of nori. See how one side is a little shinier? You want to lay down that sheet of nori on top of the bamboo, shiny side down. (It might help to put a sheet of Saran wrap in between the bamboo and the nori to help prevent sticking in case any rice gets in there.) Now, using your shamoji, spread a thin layer of rice on top of your nori sheet. If you use too much rice, it’ll be difficult to roll. And leave about a half-inch margin at top of the nori; on the side furthest from you. Next, arrange one or two strips of sashimi with one or two strips of vegetable horizontally, near the center. This is where you get to be creative. Salmon and tuna roll with asparagus anyone? Or how about tuna with a little avocado and cucumber?

Once you’ve lined those strips down, dip your fingers in water and wet the top margin of nori. This will help the edge adhere later. Now, start rolling your creation from the bottom up. Here’s the tricky part: You want to roll by curling up the bamboo mat while peeling it back bit by bit as soon as it is about to touch the rice. You can’t just roll it all up with reckless abandon – otherwise, the bamboo mat will get spiraled in there with the rice. Once it’s all rolled up (with the bamboo mat wrapped entirely on the outside), firmly grip the bamboo log with your hands several times to tighten the roll. Careful, you don’t want to grip it so hard that your avocado filling gets squeezed out, but you do want the roll tight enough to maintain its integrity. When you take your roll to the cutting board, slice it in half first. Then cut the rest of your pieces as big or as small as you’d like. Generally, roll slices are only a fraction of an inch thick. If you’re making a lot, it might help to wet the blade occasionally while you’re cutting.

Sushi looks best on small, minimalist dishware. Many restaurants will even serve sushi in trays or small wooden cutting blocks. Some people throw away the ends of the roll because they’re not as uniform looking, but I like to serve that as well. I place them on the plate, end-up, at the center of the arrangement. If you’ve done your rolling and cutting properly, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your ends. They should still be presentable and will serve to accent your sushi arrangement. You don’t have to treat them like bastard stepchildren. If you’re feeling extra creative, try using another ingredient as your sushi wrapper, like spring roll wrappers. Another alternative to nori seaweed is eggs. Instead of rolling your sushi with a sheet of nori, you can use what is essentially a cold, paper-thin omelette as the wrapping, which you can prepare on a rectangular omelet pan. Sushi doesn’t always have to be prepared with raw fish – there are several varieties that feature fish eggs or cooked shrimp.