Saba - Cured Mackerel!

Hey guys, I'm posting a recipe for Saba, or cured Mackerel. You can find this at pretty much every sushi bar around and it's very simple. 

First off:

There are a lot of types of Mackerel out there, but this one is Atlantic Mackerel. Mackerel are very oily fish, so they are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. However they can spoil very quickly so they are commonly preserved, but fresh Mackerel is very delicious too! 

In sushi bars Saba is easily recognizable because of it's color, smell and taste. Some have an extremely fishy smell, but if cured right it's not so bad. Usually pre-packaged Saba has stronger smell and taste which can be too much for some people. 

You will need:

Saba (cleaned)

Salt

Sushi Vinegar

Kombu (dried kelp)

Place the Saba in a container and generously cover both sides with salt. 

Cover the fish and refrigerate for 2 hours!

After two hours is up, clean the salt off and place back in the container. 

Pour in enough vinegar to cover the fish. (They will float a little, but that's ok.)

Along with the vinegar add a piece of Kombu. For most recipes using kombu you usually use a piece roughly the size of your palm.

Cover the container again and place back in the refrigerator overnight.

When you come back in the morning you will notice a color difference and change in the texture of the fish. I wrapped the saba in paper towel for a few minutes to remove the excess vinegar.

Don't forget that some further cleaning is required. 

The fish will still contain some pin bones (unless earlier removed) and a top layer of skin should be peeled off. You will still see the blue and silver color even after removing the skin.

Now it's done! :D

This has a salty flavor, but by doing it on your own you have more ability to control that. It's best served with a little grated ginger, green onion and ponzu.

Enjoy <3

Sushi vinegar revisited

I am doing a new post, another recipe for sushi vinegar. Again, this one is very simple, maybe even easier than the last one i posted.

I picked up another job at a Japanese Izakaya downtown and lucky for me, the chef there has been making sushi for 23 years! Yuji-san is very, very talented and I'm so excited to gain new knowledge from him, and I'll be posting it here too!

Onwards!
So you will need:
Rice vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Kombu

There are 3 numbers you should remember: 6,3,1. 6 parts vinegar, 3 parts sugar and 1 part salt.
EASY!

Combine all ingredients with a whisk and make sure everything is disolved. Don't worry about heating it up. Once everything is mixed add a piece of kombu, about the size of your hand. Now all you have to do is let it sit and you can use it the next day!

This recipe may taste saltier to some, so you can add more sugar if desired, but I think the saltiness really compliments raw fish.

Sushi Basics - California Roll

(img from California Sushi & Teriyaki)

So today I'm going to post something basic, something that I probably should have put up first to help you guys get into it quicker.

Everyone knows what a California roll is, in my mind it's like the peanutbutter & jelly of sushi, but it's simple and pretty much everyone likes it. 

For those of you who don't know, it contains:

-Crab or Kanikama (kanikama is like crab salad, usually made with mayo. Also "kani" means crab.)

-Cucumber cut into strips

-Avocado

Very simple list of ingredients. (excluding the rice, nori and sesame seeds, but that's found in pretty much all rolls.) Also there is no raw fish in this so it's an easy starting point for people who are new to eating sushi. 

You will need-

 Nori 1/2 sheet

4 oz sushi rice

Roasted sesame seeds

Avocado (2 - 3 slices)

Cucumber cut into strips

Crab/kanikama (about 2 oz)

Sushi mat

Sharp knife.

 

Remember to spread the rice over the rough side because it will better stick to the nori. You also want the rice to stay soft and fluffy, so don't press it down too hard. Once you've evenly spread the rice out, sprinkle some sesame seeds over it and then flip it over, seaweed facing you. 

Next step is pretty self explanatory. make sure all of your fillings are spread evenly across the seaweed.

Almost done! Now gently pick up the edge facing you and roll it over the fillings. You want to stop part way so that the opposite edge is still showing because that little bit will help seal the roll. You should squeeze it slightly so that everything is tight and then finally finish rolling it over so the seam is on the bottom.

After you're happy with your rolling - take the sushi mat (flat side down) and shape the roll. I usually press inwards, making the roll a bit taller and keeping the top rounded. Some people make their rolls square, others make them round. It's really up to you. You can also shape them into triangles and so on, I'll post about that later.

So finally you're going to cut your roll. Usually rolls are 8 to 10 pieces. The easiest way to get even sized pieces is to cut your roll in half, then quarters and then eighths. The actual cutting motion can be tricky for some people. It's a rocking, heel to toe motion. Heel being closest to the handle and toe being the tip of your knife.

And now you can plate it! :)

A cool little tip to make handling rice easier:

A lot of people use water on their hands, but cooking spray works great! Just spray a bit into one palm and then rub it in both hands.

Mountain Goat Roll (Vegetarian) and Palisade Wedding Expo!

During the spring/summer, Palisade held a wedding expo to display their facilities and banquet menu. It was really nice, held indoors and outdoors with a bunch of great little bites. Pictured above is the platter I made for that event as well as an awesome sculpture made by Creative Ice.

For being a vegetarian roll, it has a meaty flavor that everyone can enjoy. However, it does have goat cheese in it. 

This roll consists of:
Cucumber (Cut into strips.)
Goat cheese
Stir fried Shitake mushrooms
Avocado
Sweet chili sauce (May Ploy)

For the mushrooms:
You should remove the stems from the mushrooms and slice the caps. You want to cut about twice as much as you think you will need because they will shrink when cooked.
Heat up a pan with sesame oil and add your mushrooms. The mushrooms will soak up the oil as they cook so if it looks like it's disappearing, don't freak out. 
Next you should add a little salt and fresh ground pepper, soy sauce and white sugar. Make sure you add enough sugar so that you can taste some sweetness. 
After you've added all your ingredients keep stir frying the mushrooms. You want to cook them till they're dark and kind of dried out looking. Don't worry about frying them to death. Over cooking the mushrooms gives them a great texture and kind of a charred, meaty taste. The roll is mainly made up of very soft ingredients, so having that "toughness" balances it out. 

The mushrooms are kind of addicting. I like eating them with goat cheese on a cracker as well. 

Moving on, 
Start a roll Uramaki style (rice outside) and place the cucumber, goat cheese (putting softened cheese in a piping bag makes this easier and less messy) and mushrooms inside. Try to have an equal amount of cheese to mushrooms because the cheese can overpower the other flavors.
Once rolled, I put sliced avocado on top and then pressed it with a bamboo mat to hold things together.
Cut your roll then top with sweet chili sauce and some roasted sesame seeds.

I usually don't like vegetarian rolls (and hardly make them) but this one is a great snack and is very light. Good for anyone who doesn't really like raw fish. 

Here are some more pictures from the expo :)

OMG Roll!

So this is the OMG Roll! (pictured in back)

This roll was an adaptation of something I saw on Sushi-vids.com
Usually I'd explore the web for ideas and came across this roll which I liked very much, but thought I could add a little more to it :)

This roll is a little more advanced, but it's basically an Uramaki roll with toppings, that's then seared. If you don't have a torch, it's perfectly good left unseared as well. It's got great flavor and is like having multiple rolls in one!

OMR Roll (My version) consists of:
Avocado
Cucumber
Cream cheese (cut into strips for easier handling, or you can soften and put in a piping bag.)
Kanikama (crab mix, what you see in a California roll.)
Shrimp tempura (You can find frozen tempura at most stores that's easily heated in an oven.)
Salmon (Make sure it's sushi grade!)
Spicy mayo
Unagi sauce
Masago (optional)
Green onion
Roasted sesame seeds
Sriracha (optional)

A lot of ingredients, I know, but if you can pull it off it's worth a try :)

Since there's some much filling you want to be careful when rolling, and make sure it's completely sealed. In case any of you were wondering, the plastic wrap prevents sticking between the roll and your bamboo mat. It also keeps the toppings in place while cutting. Also be sure to use a rocking motion when cutting your rolls. It's "heel to toe" movement (Heel meaning the back end of your blade.) Making sure you use fewing motions when slicing will give you a cleaner cut, so try to avoid sawing at it if possible. 

Thanks again :)

Simple sushi vinegar!

This is something very important for anyone who wants to start making sushi!

Believe it or not, but rice is actually more important than the fish that accompanies it. It seems quite simple, but it's something that can take forever to get the hang of. 

Sushi vinegar is usually sour in flavor and slightly sweet. It's basically comprised of....
Rice vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Kombu (dried kelp)

Of course you can find premade sushi vinegar in stores, but if you want to make your own here's a simple recipe.

1 part rice vinegar
1 part white sugar
1/2 part salt
1 piece of kombu about the size of your palm (if you don't have any, skip it)

Mix the first 3 ingredients together in a pot over a low heat then place the kombu in. You want to constantly stir this mix (still on low heat) so that the salt and sugar disolves. 
When everything is well combined, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
If you want you can squeeze some lemon and orange juice into the vinegar for some extra flavor :)

The vinegar can be stored at room temperature and will last a while if you made too much. And besides being used for rice, it can make a great dressing. You can easily make a cucumber salad called "Sunumomo" ("su" means vinegar.) That's just made of thin sliced cucumber that's dressed with vinegar.

Anyways, the main use for this vinegar....
After you've cooked your white rice you should move it to a bowl that's not going to retain heat. You want the rice to be hot when you start out, but it's going to have to cool down after the vinegar is incorporated. 

It's about 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar to 1 cup of cooked rice. Usually a chef always knows the amount per batch or will add till the right saturation level is reached (That's something that people learn over a period of time.)

Mix the rice and vinegar around using a sideways, slicing motion. You want to mix and separate the grains, but don't smash them. Durring this process you can fan the rice to speed cooling or let it sit and mix periodically to release the steam.

Now you're done!

Sushi rice can be kept for a couple of days. It can be left room temp if it's in a sealed container with a damp towel over the rice. Putting it in the fridge will cause the rice to harden. Also make sure not to store your rice until it has reached at least room temperature because placing hot sushi rice in a sealed container will cause discoloration. 

Thanks, for reading :)

Hello and Miso & Maple glazed Salmon roll!

Hey everybody,
I have come here to give my blog new life! About a year ago I started one to share all my sushi thoughts, but I became to busy to maintain it and it wasn't getting a lot of traffic. But I'm here now thanks to some new inspiration from a friend of mine :D

I've been working in the Seattle area for about 4 years, making sushi. I was the head chef at Mizu and am now the sushi lead at Palisade. Currently I am waiting for my menu launch there. 

Anyways, I'll start my first post with a pretty simple roll I came up with. 

This is kind of an adaptation of a recipe I found on Foodwishes. It's a Miso and Maple glazed Salmon roll!

The recipe is pretty simple for the glaze:
1 part Miso paste (I used "Shiro" Miso, or "White")
1 part sushi vinegar (He used rice vinegar, but I like the flavor more of sushi vinegar. Doesn't really matter which one you use.)
1 part maple syrup
Sriracha to taste
Black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (it's easier if you dissolve the miso in the vinegar first.) Then taste to see if you want more Sriracha or pepper. If your glaze tastes too strongly of vinegar don't be worried. After it's been cooked it will taste sweeter. 

Since this is just for a roll I used pretty small pieces of salmon. One roll probably only contains about 1 to 1.5 oz of salmon. 
Place your salmon on greased foil, on a tray and bake it. Also, since it's such a small amount, you can do this in a toaster oven, on broil. It won't take long. 

In the mean time you can blanch some asparagus to go with the roll. You can use just the salmon if you want, but adding some vegetables will give it more textures. (It's kind of like a salmon dinner in a roll.)

When all parts are done, take a sheet of nori and place it in front of you vertically, rough side up! Rice always goes on the rough side because it will hold better! Spread the rice about 2/3 of the way, bottom to top. Place all your components near the bottom of the nori and roll it up :)
Cut into desired number of pieces and garnish with roasted sesame seeds.


This type of roll is a typical "maki"; seaweed on the OUTSIDE. Most people see "Uramaki", which are rolls with rice on the outside. (Ex: California rolls) 


Hope you enjoyed my first post. I will post more about sushi vinegar, rice, tools, etc. later on.