Living in Nebraska makes me a great authority on sushi... wait... no, no it doesn't. But for that matter, I don't know what does? I eat it every chance I get, and I love preparing it myself, does that count?
Now sushi is something of a polarizing dish. A lot of people are thrown off by eating raw fish for reasons like food poisoning, heavy-metal poisoning, being lame specimens of humanity, etc. The fact is, variety is the spice of life, and if eating something is potentially dangerous it makes it all the more appealing, right? (Think other fun/dangerous activities like skydiving, snowboarding, or listening to 2 Chainz)
The fact is, sushi is NOT always raw fish! Sushi just refers to the cooking method of the rice and wrapping the ingredients in the rice and the nori, or seaweed wrap. Sashimi refers to raw or lightly cooked fish. Sushi is (I realize I use this term a lot about dishes) a blank canvas... I've had everything from steak to a fried whole softshell crab wrapped in rice and seaweed and thrown it all back in one bite.
How To: At the restaurant:
Now, first of all consider you're location. If you're in South Dakota, and the sushi is only $5, its probably not very fresh. But, if it looks like a legit place, or you are close to the ocean, its probably safe! Use your judgement.
When getting sushi, I like to order a variety of different things, and let everyone share. Start with some tempura (a specific type of frying batter used on fish, vegetables, etc.) as an appetizer, you won't be disappointed. Anything deep fried can't be that bad, right? Next, let everyone pick out a roll that they want. One to two rolls should be plenty per person, even if they are all skinny fat kids like me! Sushi is quite filling.
This is the time to branch out, so live a little! Order something weird along with the safe rolls (California rolls are generally liked by everyone). IF there is a softshell crab, get it! If there is anything called a "dragon roll" on the menu, it is required that someone order it. Personally, the only ones I stay away from are the eel... It just tastes a little bit too much like the bottom of the ocean for my taste.
When eating it, using your hands is actually more appropriate than using chopsticks (sweet!) so dig in! Dip it in the soy sauce mixed with wasabi and throw it all back in one bite, even if its a big roll. 2 bites is a no-no. Don't forget the sake, which has a weirdly appealing savoriness to it.
How To: At home
Sushi is actually easier to prepare than you'd think. All you need is sushi rice, rice wine vinegar, nori (The seaweed wrapper, really easy to come by these days!), and anything you'd like to fill it with. I like to use cooked shrimp, crab, and smoked salmon. I myself have never attempted to use raw fish, but if you do make sure it is sushi-grade.
First of all, using a wire strainer and a large bowl, rinse the rice with tap water until the water comes off clear. Next, bring the rice and the appropriate amount of water (1 to 1 ratio) to a boil. Turn down to simmer, and leave for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and leave for another 10 minutes. After this add a couple tablespoons each of sugar, salt, and rice wine vinegar and mix to coat each grain. Put in the fridge until it comes down to room temperature.
Now comes the fun part! Lay down a sheet of nori and spread a thin, even layer of rice over it (if you have a bamboo sushi roller, that makes rolling a little easier but its not necessary). Next, put whatever you like on the rice and roll it up! Think like a sleeping bag roll, keep it tight and hopefully the rice will keep it all together.
Last week Rachel and I did this and had a lot of fun. It is a bit of a process, but its something you can do to make a great date night. We used crab, smoked salmon, and pre-cooked shrimp, as well as cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and carrots to fill our sushi. The only problem was, we kinda ate as we went, so by the time we were finished neither of us were very hungry!
Well, my friends, I hope this opened your eyes a bit to the world of sushi. Go forth, try it out, and get something weird! I would definitely advise eating it in a restaurant setting before trying on your own. Get some inspiration! It plates beautifully, is very healthy, and makes you feel like a hipster. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
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