THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SUSHI

By Hideo Dekura, Brigid Treloar, Ryuichi Yoshii
Photography by Louise Lister and Mark O'Meara

For lovers of the Japanese cuisine, The Complete Book of Sushi is a definitive collection of both contemporary and innovative recipes surprisingly simple to make. 

The Japanese believe that food should satisfy all the senses. 

Food is always prepared with great care and beautifully presented; sometimes very simply, and sometimes in an intricate array. The freshest ingredients are combined in ways that delight the eyes as well as the taste buds. Seasonings are generally quite subtle, in order to enhance the natural flavours. 

Sushi combines seasonal seafood and rice, the staple diet of the Japanese people. A wide variety of vegetables can be used in sushi too.

Sashimi means ‘raw’ in Japanese and is generally used to refer to the delicately arranged plates of raw seafood and sliced fresh fish that are served with soy and other dipping sauces. Sushi refers to vinegar-flavoured rice topped with sashimi, omelets and vegetables, or rolled with a variety of filling in dark green nori seaweed. 

Training for sushi chefs is traditionally long and hard. An apprentice spends much of time with his hands in cold water, doing chores in the kitchen.

Sushi, an exquisite food, is also one of the healthiest and most nutritional foods available. Fish, rice, vegetables, soy and nori are basic sushi ingredients, all readily available and all excellent nutritionally. Fish and seafood are highly nutritious and low in calories (kilojoules). Just a small portion of fish supplies between one third and a half of the protein we require daily.

Most fish and seafood are excellent sources of vitamin B12, which is essential for building and maintaining cells, and iodine, which is needed for the thyroid gland to work effectively. Seafood such as shrimp (prawns) and squid are high in cholesterol, so are best eaten only in small quantities by people who need to limit their cholesterol intake. It appears, however, that crab and oysters lower blood cholesterol.

Oily fish, such as tuna and salmon, are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are highly beneficial in the prevention of heart disease and stroke.

PICKELED PLUM AND BROWN RICE SUSHI ROLLS

Makes 6 rolls (36 pieces)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 clove garlic, ground (minced)
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
1 tablespoon umeboshi plum paste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
4 sheets nori
4 cups (20 oz/625 g) brown sushi rice scallions (shallots/spring onions), green parts only
¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) Japanese soy sauce
finger bowl; water with a splash of rice vinegar

Heat oil in frying pan over moderate heat and sauté carrot, garlic and ginger until carrots are just cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Combine eggs and a tablespoon of soy sauce and spread thinly over frying pan. Cook until just set, about 45 seconds. Turn over and cook for about 20 seconds longer. Remove from pan and slice into thin strips. Combine plum paste and vinegar and gently fold into rice.

Cut each nori sheet in half lengthwise, parallel with the lines marked on the rough side. Place one half nori sheet lengthwise on bamboo mat, about 3 slats from edge closest to you, shiny side down. Dip both hands in finger bowl, shaking off excess. Spread one-sixth of rice evenly over nori, leaving a small strip on long side farthest away from you uncovered. 

Make an indentation across rice and put one-sixth of carrots, egg and one scallion evenly from one side of rice to the other. Using your index finger and thumb, pick up edge of bamboo mat nearest you. Place remaining fingers over fillings to hold them as you roll mat forward, tightly wrapping rice and nori around fillings. The strip of nori without rice should still be visible. 

Press firmly and continue rolling forward to complete roll. Gently press mat to shape roll. Unroll mat and place roll on cutting board with seam on bottom. Wipe a knife with a damp cloth and cut roll into 6 pieces, wiping knife between cuts. Repeat with remaining rolls. Serve with soy sauce.

CALIFORNIA ROLLS WITH CRABMEAT AND AVOCADO

Makes 8 pieces

1 ¼ nori sheets
½ avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into strips, each ½ inch (1 cm) thick
1 cup (5 oz/150 g) sushi rice
1 tablespoon golden tobiko (flying fish roe)
1 tablespoon orange tobiko
1 tablespoon wasabi tobiko
¼ English (hothouse) cucumber, cut lengthwise then into strips, each ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
2 sticks crabmeat (pressed crabmeat)

Place quartered nori sheet on a dry work surface, shiny side down, and place a strip of avocado in centre of nori. Roll and set aside.

To make an inside-out sushi roll, place a whole nori sheet on a bamboo sushi mat, glossy side down, and spread sushi rice evenly over it. Using a teaspoon, spread golden, orange and wasabi tobiko to create a striped pattern. Cut plastic wrap the same size as sushi mat and cover rice with mat. Pick up mat, place a hand over plastic wrap, and carefully turn over so nori is on top. Place back on mat about 3 slats from edge closest to you.

Place 1 slice avocado, 1 cucumber and 1 crabstick in centre of nori. Using your index finger and thumb, pick up edge of sushi mat and plastic wrap nearest to you. Place remaining fingers over fillings to hold them as you roll mat forward tightly, wrapping rice and nori around fillings. Press gently and continue rolling forward to complete roll. Gently press, pat to shape and seal roll. Unroll mat and transfer to a cutting board.

Wipe a sharp knife with a damp towel. Cut roll in half and cut the halves in half again; then cut each quarter in half to make 8 equal pieces, wiping knife after each cut. Finally, gently remove plastic wrap from each piece.

CAJUN-STYLE SPICY ROLLS

Makes 8 pieces

4 smoked salmon slices
1 tablespoon cream cheese
¼ teaspoon Cajun spice
1 cup (5 oz/150 g) sushi rice
6 green beans, blanched
1 teaspoon shiso powder (Japanese basil)

Cover a sushi mat with plastic wrap. Lay salmon slices horizontally across plastic from edge closest to you. Spread cream cheese across centre and sprinkle with Cajun spice. With wet fingers, spread sushi rice over salmon slices, leaving ¾ inch (2 cm) uncovered. Place green beans in a straight line. Roll up very tightly. Unroll mat and transfer roll to a cutting board. Wipe a sharp knife with a damp towel, cut each roll in half, then cut each half into 4 pieces, wiping knife after each cut. Remove plastic from rolls.

Holding 1 piece, dip seam side into shiso powder. Arrange on serving plates. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

OMELETTE SUSHI ROLLS

Makes 2 rolls (16 pieces)

5 seasoned shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
1 seasoned carrot, peeled and julienned
2 seasoned tofu, thinly sliced
2 cups (10 oz) 315 g) sushi rice
2 thin seasoned omelettes
2 sheets nori
1 English (hothouse) cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
¼ cup Japanese soy sauce, for serving
2 tablespoons gari, for serving

In a bowl, combine shiitake, carrot, tofu and rice mixing well. Cover a bamboo mat with a plastic wrap. Lay one omelet on plastic and cover with a sheet of nori. Spread nori with rice mixture leaving a 1 inch (2,5 cm) strip on long side farthest away uncovered. Lay half cucumber strips across rice, making sure they extend to each end. 

 

Pick up mat and plastic with index finger and thumb, holding cucumber in place with remaining fingers, and roll and seal nori around cucumber. Unroll mat and plastic. Place roll on cutting board with seam on bottom. Wipe a sharp knife with a damp cloth and cut roll into 8 pieces wiping knife before each cut. Repeat for remaining roll. Serve with soy sauce and gari.

Brigid Treloar is a freelance food consultant, media presenter, food author and educator for over 20 years in Sydney Australia. Brigid has written six cook books: 'Steaming'; 'Vegetarian Sushi'; 'Tofu'; 'Healthy Soy'; the Women's Weekly cook book 'Japanese' and the recently released 'The Complete Book of Sushi' with Hideo Dekura and Ryuichi Yoshii, all sold in US, UK, Asia and Europe. Two more cook books are due for release later this year.