Basics for making Sushi

Elena Butuc

If you're planning to make sushi at home, and I highly recommend you try it, be aware that a little preparation is needed. While it's not difficult, obtaining the right ingredients and tools may require some effort as they aren't typically available at your local grocery store.

In addition to rice and the necessary components to prepare it as detailed in this Sushi Rice recipe, you'll need to gather a bamboo mat for rolling, cling film, gloves, chopsticks, and other specific ingredients and tools outlined in the steps below. Many of these items are reusable, but consider buying in bulk online to have enough nori sheets, sauces, and pickled ginger for 2-3 batches of sushi since they're not highly perishable.

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Ingredients

Metric US

●

Sushi bamboo mat

1 piece

●

Nori Seaweed

10 pieces

I usually buy a pack of 50

Step by step

Step 1

To get started with sushi, you'll need a bamboo rolling mat, available online and in many physical stores at reasonable prices, starting from 5 lei each.

It's highly recommended by experts to wrap it with food-grade plastic wrap. You can use regular household wrap; here's a brief YouTube video with some instructions. Though slightly narrower, the technique in the video is effective. Ensure you wrap it in two overlapping layers of plastic wrap, changing the rolling direction.

Step 2

Alternatively, I purchased a large roll of plastic wrap used in restaurants. It's wider and makes wrapping the mat quicker.

Regardless, ensure you wrap it in two layers and change the direction when rolling the mat—the last wrap should have vertical rows, as shown in the picture.

Step 3

Once the mat is covered with plastic wrap, make small incisions on the back where the folds accumulate, using the tip of a knife.

Step 4

Roll tightly and expel any trapped air. Now the bamboo mat is ready for sushi rolling.

Step 5

Keep a large bowl of clean, cold water handy. Gloves are optional but they help me work faster, cleaner, and more efficiently.

Step 6

Nori sheets for sushi have a rough side—indicated by my finger in the picture—which is where the rice should always be placed, and a glossy side for aesthetic purposes.

It's recommended to purchase a larger pack of Nori sheets. These dried and pressed seaweed sheets are non-perishable and can be stored for later use. Keep them sealed in the cupboard.

Step 7

Plan your sushi fillings ahead, focusing primarily on the fish.

The simplest choice is salmon, which I recommend freezing first for deworming and food safety. Additionally, I use marinated and lightly salted salmon, either store-bought or prepared as shown in the Gravlax Recipe.

Other filling options include tuna, eel, shrimp, or surimi, which I will explain in specific recipes for each type of roll in future posts.

Step 8

Prepare the vegetables for your sushi rolls: cucumber, avocado, mango, carrots, chives, lettuce leaves, daikon radish, and others you might like.

In upcoming recipes, I'll delve deeper into slicing techniques for each type of sushi.

Step 9

For decorations, particularly for Uramaki sushi, consider using roasted black and white sesame seeds, lumpfish roe (or tobiko, if available), finely chopped chives, seaweed, arugula, and other toppings of your choice.