Home made Sushi

[Atty]

Anyone make your own sushi? I'm tired of buying it all the time, satisfying my overwhelming desire for sushi is getting expensive and I love to cook, so why not make it at home?

My only questions is are these expensive kits worth it? Or is all I need a mat?

Tips? Suggestions? Recipes?!

 

[Howard]

It's pretty easy to make nigiri and sashimi, but makizushi is something I wouldn't do at home.

EDIT: Also, buy only sushi-grade (or more accurately, fish suitable for serving raw). It doesn't mean anything about the quality, but sushi-grade fish is required to be deep-frozen to kill parasites, per FDA requirements on raw-served fish.

 

[slayer202]

I'd imagine you wouldn't be saving that much money making it yourself. Or you would have rather large portions

 

[Codewiz]

It is pretty easy. I made some spicy tuna rolls in the past. The biggest thing is getting the rice right. Everything else goes easy if you get the rice right.

As mentioned, you need sashimi-grade fish. Costco has carried sashimi grade ahi-tuna in the past. That is the hardest thing to come by. If you are a regular at a sushi bar, I would just ask the sushi chef where they get their fish.

 

[AreaCode707]

We make it ourselves frequently. It helps that we live in an area with many Asian grocery stores, especially Uwajimaya, which is a reliable source of sashimi-grade fish.

Yes, you do have to get the rice mix (sugar and rice wine vinegar) right, and make sure it's at the right temp (cooled, not warm).

We don't use a mat. It takes a wet fingertip to seal the nori, and if you let it sit for a few minutes on the seal it will hold better.

 

[basslover1]

There's no such thing as "sashimi grade" or "sushi grade" fish. If someone is selling it to you as such, they're doing it so they can charge you extra because it's "special." It's a marketing term created by suppliers. Fish is graded similarly to beef, judged on age of the animal and fat content/marbling not on raw edibility.

In the US anyway, according the FDA. Though that freezing thing Howard mentioned, that part is true.

 

[Codewiz]

There's no such thing as "sashimi grade" or "sushi grade" fish. If someone is selling it to you as such, they're doing it so they can charge you extra because it's "special." It's a marketing term created by suppliers. Fish is graded similarly to beef, judged on age of the animal and fat content/marbling not on raw edibility.

In the US anyway, according the FDA. Though that freezing thing Howard mentioned, that part is true.

Just because there is no FDA "grade" doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Sashimi grade fish has nothing to do with quality of fish, but it does mean that it has been frozen.

EDIT: My overall point is that the gov't doesn't dictate everything that exists.

 

[Elbryn]

Anyone make your own sushi? I'm tired of buying it all the time, satisfying my overwhelming desire for sushi is getting expensive and I love to cook, so why not make it at home?

My only questions is are these expensive kits worth it? Or is all I need a mat?

Tips? Suggestions? Recipes?!

we handroll at home. it's easy and simple to do. buy a couple pieces of fish and slice or have sliced sashimi style. make the rice, tear some seaweed, slice avocado, slice whatever else you want to put into the rolls. then self serve, self roll.

 

[Howard]

There's no such thing as "sashimi grade" or "sushi grade" fish. If someone is selling it to you as such, they're doing it so they can charge you extra because it's "special." It's a marketing term created by suppliers. Fish is graded similarly to beef, judged on age of the animal and fat content/marbling not on raw edibility.

In the US anyway, according the FDA. Though that freezing thing Howard mentioned, that part is true.

I think you missed the whole point of my post.

 

[edro]

I made it myself 1 few weeks ago for the first time.
I made california type rolls. I used a flat towel instead of the mat. It worked fine.
They looks great and tasted decent... but the rice was too fluffy/sticky and didn't taste right.
I used sushi rice, but I couldn't get the consistency right.
I made 2 batches, but both failed.

I will stick to buying the small packages of 9 rolls for $9 at the grocery.

 

[OutHouse]

Anyone make your own sushi?

i tried, bought all the shit for it. watched all the videos on youtube on how to do it and i was still a fail.

I will stick to buying the small packages of 9 rolls for $9 at the grocery.

yup same here.

 

[D1gger]

We've done it at home a few times, with reasonable success. The only downside was that it is hard to buy just very small portions of the fish, so you end up with a whole bunch of salmon, or hamachi or whatever fish you choose, rather than a nice mixture like I eat when visiting a sushi bar.

 

[sactoking]

I do it a couple of times a year and will host make-your-own-sushi parties as well. It's pricey to get up and running since the ingredient list can be extensive but most of the items are non-perishable and will store for next time. Most people think the rice can be tricky, and that is true, but there are a few tricks you can use:
Use short-grain rice like Calrose but short the water content a little bit. The Calrose package says 2c water to 1.5c rice but I find 1.75:1.5 works better.
Rinse the rice, of course.
Use kombu in the rice. Kombu can be hard to find but it is an essential ingredient. Not only does the natural glutamate give the rice more of an "umami" tase but it also helps the meshi adhere.
Mixing the meshi is definitely a two person job. The rice should be taken from the cooker while hot and put into the biggest bowl you have, preferably a wooden salad bowl. Using a big wooden spoon or spatula cut and fold the rice after the meshi has been poured on; do not stir or it will get gummy. While you're doing that the second person should be fanning the rice to cool it as quickly as possible. Ultimately you want the meshi to coat each grain of rice and cool so that it forms a slightly sticky coating.

Of course, I worked in a sushi restaurant in college so YRMV.

 

[biostud]

I make it quite often, and there's really no reason to buy a "kit". Just buy whatever you need separately. When I make rolls the only "special" stuff I use are:

a mat
seaweed
rice vinegar
sushi rice
sushi soy sauce
wasabi paste

then I just fill in the vegetables and fish I like. You can also make very good sushi without fish, by adding shiitaki mushrooms, or make a Japanese style omelet instead.

 

[brainhulk]

1. Thaw filet
2. Cut piece of fish off filet
3. Place on top of piece of sticky rice

Sushi

 

[ponyo]

I will stick to buying the small packages of 9 rolls for $9 at the grocery.

Grocery store sushi? Is that even edible?

 

[sactoking]

Grocery store sushi? Is that even edible?

Well, there is a chain of grocers out of NoCal called Nugget Market that makes their own sushi in-house and it's somewhat ok, but yeah those little packs of stuff shipped in are nasty.

 

[brainhulk]

Grocery store sushi? Is that even edible?

In hawaii the grocery stores sell awesome poke. Gawd it was delicious

 

[OutHouse]

Grocery store sushi? Is that even edible?

the kroger near my work makes really good sushi, they make it fresh as you watch, they normally have a line at lunch time.

 

[Howard]

I make it quite often, and there's really no reason to buy a "kit". Just buy whatever you need separately. When I make rolls the only "special" stuff I use are:

a mat
seaweed
rice vinegar
sushi rice
sushi soy sauce
wasabi paste

then I just fill in the vegetables and fish I like. You can also make very good sushi without fish, by adding shiitaki mushrooms, or make a Japanese style omelet instead.

blucher

 

[Ns1]

1. Thaw filet
2. Cut piece of fish off filet
3. Place on top of piece of sticky rice

Sushi

lol

 

[basslover1]

Just because there is no FDA "grade" doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Sashimi grade fish has nothing to do with quality of fish, but it does mean that it has been frozen.

EDIT: My overall point is that the gov't doesn't dictate everything that exists.

I think you missed my point. "Sashimi" isn't a grade, the FDA doesn't recognize it as such. They do however recommend that fish to be eaten raw should be frozen at a certain temp. for a certain period of time. Yes, if you're buying food in the good ol US of A, every retailer has to follow the FDA guidelines and your local health department and Agriculture department. I know this, because I work in the food industry.

What I'm saying is, a retailer (grocery store, fish market, whatever) labeling something as sushi/sashimi grade is using a marketing gimmick, probably so they can charge extra for it. If you want to eat raw fish, buy the frozen stuff (because it's safer) and save your self some money.

Example, where I work fresh caught Yellowfin Tuna goes for 8.99 per 6oz boneless skinless portion. The same Yellowfin tuna that is frozen (caught in the same country according the COOL labeling) is 5.99 for two 6oz portions.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but sushi grade or sashimi grade fish isn't a true "grade," it's marketing plain and simple.

 

[Ns1]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but sushi grade or sashimi grade fish isn't a true "grade," it's marketing plain and simple.

When I buy "sashimi grade fish" I think "fresher than the other shit they have in the cooler that isn't suitable for eating raw"

My husband is a buyer at Tsukiji Market and in Japan "sashimi grade" means that it can be safely eaten raw. He has sold Tsukiji fish in the states and I don't think that there were any USDA standards regarding the term "sashimi grade". As a retailer, he and the other fishmongers just had to be sure to tell the customer if they had to cook the fish or not.

For example, a piece of fish could be considered "sashimi grade" for a few days, but after some point, the fish is still edible but needs to be cooked. In Japan, they just slap on a sticker that says "for cooking" vs. the "sashimi grade" sticker.

 

[xSauronx]

the kroger near my work makes really good sushi, they make it fresh as you watch, they normally have a line at lunch time.

yeah, the fresh market in a nearby city does the same. the hospital in the same town has someone making fresh sushi in the cafeteria

 

[Howard]

I think you missed my point. "Sashimi" isn't a grade, the FDA doesn't recognize it as such. They do however recommend that fish to be eaten raw should be frozen at a certain temp. for a certain period of time. Yes, if you're buying food in the good ol US of A, every retailer has to follow the FDA guidelines and your local health department and Agriculture department. I know this, because I work in the food industry.

What I'm saying is, a retailer (grocery store, fish market, whatever) labeling something as sushi/sashimi grade is using a marketing gimmick, probably so they can charge extra for it. If you want to eat raw fish, buy the frozen stuff (because it's safer) and save your self some money.

Example, where I work fresh caught Yellowfin Tuna goes for 8.99 per 6oz boneless skinless portion. The same Yellowfin tuna that is frozen (caught in the same country according the COOL labeling) is 5.99 for two 6oz portions.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but sushi grade or sashimi grade fish isn't a true "grade," it's marketing plain and simple.

Is there any sushi-grade fish which is fresh?