The New Intimacy

#EdenCooks - SUSHI! - Monday Apr 15 at 8pm EST

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Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
Quote:
Originally posted by Melan!e
We've got tons of fresh fish available in China town right near where we live.
I've always tended to go for smoked fish in my sushi though.
The markets there have their fish swimming around in aquariums.. now that's fresh!
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
(Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

When your fish has been de-skinned, begin to cut thin slices to fit on the nigiri.



Honestly, my friend sort of handled this process while I was making Maki Rolls, so maybe one of our more experienced guests wants to chime in about ... more
I've only ever bought prepared sushi-grade fish because I don't yet trust myself to choose from any random fish fillets. I'm not experienced enough with fresh fish.

Edit: and by prepared, I mean that someone skins it and cuts it up for me.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I've only ever bought prepared sushi-grade fish because I don't yet trust myself to choose from any random fish fillets. I'm not experienced enough with fresh fish.

Edit: and by prepared, I mean that someone skins it and cuts it up for me.
Hiroko Shimbo's book would be a great place to learn. She goes really in-depth into the fish, even detailing how to do the fileting if you have the whole fish.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Pixel Pixel
Quote:
Originally posted by Melan!e
The markets there have their fish swimming around in aquariums.. now that's fresh!
I would not be allowed in a store like that. "Ok, so see the yellow one who looks sad? Yeah, that one. I'd like that one, please!"
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

To make maki rolls is a lot of fun! There are two 'sizes,' "thin" rolls and "thick" rolls. I'll show a couple of each type here.

To begin, set out your ingredients and your bamboo mat.

To make a thin roll, tear off some of the perforations of your nori. Place the Nori on your mat "rough" side up---the rough side will stick to the rice better than the smooth side.




(showing the smooth side vs the rough side)


04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Dip your hands in the vinegar water. Grab a large egg-sized piece of rice, and place it at the top left side of your nori (leave about a half-inch to seal the roll with, though!)





Begin to 'pull' the rice to the side, evenly distributed.




A well-spread piece of nori will look like this:



04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Dip your hands in the vinegar water. Grab a large egg-sized piece of rice, and place it at the top left side of your nori (leave about a half-inch to seal the roll with, though!)





Begin to 'pull' the rice to the ... more
excellent pictorial!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Arrange the filling for a thin roll right in the middle. Here I am spreading some spicy mayonnaise thinly across the middle




Then arrange your vegetable of choice. For a thin roll, one vegetable is usually sufficient.

I also made thin rolls of wasabi, sesame seed, and mushroom; and others of just sesame seed and gourd.





04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Arrange the filling for a thin roll right in the middle. Here I am spreading some spicy mayonnaise thinly across the middle




Then arrange your vegetable of choice. For a thin roll, one vegetable is usually sufficient.

I ... more
this assembly always looks like so much fun to me
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
this assembly always looks like so much fun to me

It was! Just about every guest I had insisted on making a roll, even though most of us had never done it before, they all came together really well!

(And just so everybody knows, I had consent to use hand/wrist pictures of everybody whose hands and wrists are pictured here. Yay consent!)
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

To roll up the sushi, pick up the bamboo mat and roll it almost to halfway. (This felt much more natural, even to a beginner, than it feels to explain it...)



Roll, roll, roll, and soon you will feel the roll complete itself.



Set your roll on your work surface and cover it with the bamboo mat so you can press it tight and "square" it up.



Now you're ready to slice it!
04/15/2013
Contributor: XxFallenAngelxX XxFallenAngelxX
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

To roll up the sushi, pick up the bamboo mat and roll it almost to halfway. (This felt much more natural, even to a beginner, than it feels to explain it...)



Roll, roll, roll, and soon you will feel the roll complete itself. ... more
Excellent! I have trouble with rolling since my mat is missing.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by XxFallenAngelxX
Excellent! I have trouble with rolling since my mat is missing.
They're only like $2, so you can fix that for cheaper than you can buy new nori!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Sharp knife required! It is also important to have your kitchen sink running a bit of cool water so you can rinse the starch off your knife between cuts. That keeps the knife from getting sticky and mashing up your roll.



To make a thick roll, don't break your nori.



Dip your fingers, grab a larger 'egg' of rice, and begin to spread...



until everythign looks well-spread. Don't over-rice your roll, or you won't be able to shut it.


Wasabi, mushroom, cucumber...



...roe, and avocado!

04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Begin to roll in the same way as the thin roll.

Here I am putting a few drops of vinegar water on the edge of the nori to help it seal.



Again, pack the roll tightly before slicing.



Fat and delicious. (Like the VixSkin Maverick I'm saving up for!)





04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Begin to roll in the same way as the thin roll.

Here I am putting a few drops of vinegar water on the edge of the nori to help it seal.



Again, pack the roll tightly before slicing.



Fat and delicious. (Like the ... more
I was just gonna say it looked like a dildo!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Pixel Pixel
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Sharp knife required! It is also important to have your kitchen sink running a bit of cool water so you can rinse the starch off your knife between cuts. That keeps the knife from getting sticky and mashing up your roll.



To make a ... more
Mmmm. Roe. I love the little pops as it breaks between your teeth!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Lildrummrgurl7 Lildrummrgurl7
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
I was just gonna say it looked like a dildo!
I think we spend too much time on Eden
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Pixel
Mmmm. Roe. I love the little pops as it breaks between your teeth!
Yesssss.



Unlike the thin rolls, which you cut at about an inch thick or just a little more, slice the thick roll relatively 'short,' at about a half-inch.



(In this way, it is not at ALL like the Maverick I'm dreaming of...)

A few thin and thick rolls, already cut:


04/15/2013
Contributor: XxFallenAngelxX XxFallenAngelxX
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Begin to roll in the same way as the thin roll.

Here I am putting a few drops of vinegar water on the edge of the nori to help it seal.



Again, pack the roll tightly before slicing.



Fat and delicious. (Like the ... more
That's a big roll!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Next up is an inside-out roll, in the style of the California roll! The inside-out roll was invented by creative sushi chefs when American guests complained that they didn't like the fishy taste of nori, so the nori was hidden inside the rice. It's a little sticky to make, but the restult is now an American classic. (I hate imitation krab, though, so we made it with salmon.)

Cover your bamboo mat with Saran wrap.

Spread your nori out, smooth side down again. Apply the rice, like before. Then measure out some sesame seeds.



Sprinkle them liberally across the rice---this will keep the rice from sticking.






Flip the nori over!



04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
(Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Begin to roll in the same way as the thin roll.

Here I am putting a few drops of vinegar water on the edge of the nori to help it seal.



Again, pack the roll tightly before slicing.



Fat and delicious. (Like the ... more
Your VixSkin comment got a chuckle out of me.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
Your VixSkin comment got a chuckle out of me.


Fill with salmon, avocado...





mushrooms and roe!

Then begin to roll, slowly and carefully.











Untuck the Saran Wrap...
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

And your inside-out roll is ready to slice!




04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Yet another chef decided to make us a sepcial surpise with some leftover salmon (hey, isn't that a bluegrass band?)








04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

I think the final thing to be covered is the shaping of rice for nigiri.

This is similar to shaping pedas for rolling chapatis, so my fingers picked it up quickly... but it still bears mentioning.

Wet your fingers and pick up a pingpong ball sized lump of rice.



Roll it into a ball, and then make a dimple in the rice.

Fold the dimple over itself. (You basically made a weak point so the rice lump can be compressed more easily.)



Roll the rice up to the tips of your fingers, then pick it up with yoru dominant hand and lay it parallel with your fingers.


Pack it together with your dominant hand. Then place it perpendicular with your fingers again, at the bases of your fingers, and press together with both your non-dominant hand and your dominant one.





And now it is compacted enough to receive your prepared fish.


04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova


Fill with salmon, avocado...





mushrooms and roe!

Then begin to roll, slowly and carefully.











Untuck the Saran Wrap...
... more
This looks somewhat similar to rolling up compound butter in the plastic wrap.
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
(Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Yet another chef decided to make us a sepcial surpise with some leftover salmon (hey, isn't that a bluegrass band?)








... more
That looks divine!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova


You guys, I"m so sorry this meeting has gone so far beyond time! I'm sure half of you are in bed and the other half are eating dinner (or at least neck-deep in your school papers...

I'll be sure to stick around until 9 for questions, and check back in the thread all month to answer other questions that are had.

I'm going to go gather and random-number-generate some gift card winners now, too.

And now for straight-up food porn and question time!














04/15/2013
Contributor: XxFallenAngelxX XxFallenAngelxX
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Yet another chef decided to make us a sepcial surpise with some leftover salmon (hey, isn't that a bluegrass band?)








... more
Totally adorable!
04/15/2013