You know how they say that the only way to get started in something is to dive head first; jump into the deep end; something about reckless abandon (?)... well, you get the idea. Sushi is not one of these kinds of things. The infamous "they" got it wrong this time. The world of sushi should be entered slowly, cautiously, with all vitals being carefully monitored. I say this because at the tender age of 16, I had my first sushi experience: eel...made at home...by another 16 year old. I was so far out of my comfort zone, I may as well have been eating the red dirt of Mars. All I remember is hundreds of little bones, overly sweet meat, and crunchy rice.
Lucky for me, I don't scare easily. Well, actually, I do, but not from food. (Seriously, who actually enjoys horror films?
The Ring stills haunts me.) So despite living through what can only be described as the horror films of sushi, I tried again. Starting a few years ago with the basic California roll and working my way up, I can say with confident pride that I am now on my way to becoming a sushi aficionado.
A few weeks ago, my friend invited me over to her house for a "sushi-making party". I am ashamed to admit that it had never crossed my mind to attempt to make it at home. I had heard myths of other daring people doing so, and I always admired their guts and glory. But I never thought it would be worth the work when I could just get it delivered straight to my door. Oh, how naive I had been! There is something truly satisfying about making sushi. Not only can you ensure that what you are eating is fresh and well-prepared, but you can whimsically experiment as well! And thus I came to find my taste buds new best (multi-cultural) friend: Mexican-spiced salmon tartare chirashi with a side of Korean roasted seaweed.
The best place to start is making the sushi rice (I found mine at the local Asian supermarket) as it takes the longest, and needs time to cool. This can be a bit complicated; mainly for those who can't make rice if it isn't an Uncle Ben's packet. (Guilty!) But it gets easier after the first time. Start by washing the rice 3-5 times, or until the water is clear. For the amounts, I use the ratio 1 part rice to 1 and 1/3 part water. For example, if I'm making this for myself, I use 100 ml rice to 133 ml water. Boil the rice for ten minutes with a tight lid on the pot, and do not open it. After the ten minutes, the water should be evaporated. Now, lay a tea towel over the pot and cover it with the lid, so as to soak up all left over moisture, for another ten minutes. Finally, transfer the rice to a bowl, and pour 1/3 part rice wine vinegar (or if you are using the measurements above, I use 33 ml). Lovingly, tenderly fold the rice so as to evenly spread the vinegar.
During the 20 minutes it takes to cook the rice, there is plenty of time to make the salmon tartare and roasted seaweed. Lets start with the salmon, shall we? First, you will need a sharp knife. This is utterly crucial in making sushi. And with the sharp knife, trim any undesirable parts off of the salmon (I use 100g per person), e.g. fat, skin, etc. Also, please make sure there are no bones. Nothing ruins a good fish dish like a bone poking its way around a throat. Dice the salmon into small cubes, but not too small. I find that it's nice when they are more chunky, so as not to lose the flavour of the salmon. Throw the salmon (let's say we have 100g) in a bowl with one tablespoon of toasted sesame oil, one heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise, and one heaping teaspoon of Mexican spices. In Belgium, you can buy taco seasoning at the grocery store, and I've found that it works well on any Mexican dish. Mix this all together and set it in the refrigerator until its time to use it.
As for the Korean roasted seaweed, I use a sheet of Japanese seaweed for maki rolls, brush it with toasted sesame oil on both sides, and sprinkle some salt. Then roast it in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for two minutes on each side. You should have crunchy, flavourful seaweed! I personally like to cut the sheet into four small squares, and make hand rolls with the salmon tartare and rice. Or just eat it as a snack, as they do in Korea! Bon appetit! or as they say in Japan, どうぞめしあがれ
