Hello, my fellow weebs, anyone wants to give me some ideas for sushi?
Problem is, it's very hard, to impossible to get sushi grade fish here, so what else could I do? I head about just using smoked salmon, which certainly aint authentic, but it seems tasty. Oh, and avocados and cucumber are an option. Fish roe comes to mind too. What else?
And what's your favorite recipe for seasoning the rice?
>>7342562
Being "authentic" is overrated. If it is tasty and fits the dish like smoked salmon, go for it.
[Fried] tofu, [fried/roasted] yam, sriracha, kewpie mayo, [pickled] carrots, [pickled] radishes, pickled onion, broccoli stalks, asparagus, [roasted/pickled] beets, fried pork belly, hummus, crab, cooked shrimp/prawns, teriyaki glazes, bbq eel, tamago (make it yourself), cooked scallops, green onion, mushrooms of all kinds, [roasted] bell peppers, cream cheese, etc.
All of these and more are ingredients I've seen in restaurants around Vancouver, which has a thriving sushi culture of its own. Just experiment and good combinations will come to you.
On a final note, if you're not topping your maki with anything else, go for black sesame seeds. Makes a world of difference.
>>7342562
Smoked salmon works well enough on maki rolls, thou it will overpower the rice. From fish roe you can make gunkan maki, more tricky for beginners but more impressive. Try avocado-paste and shrimps too, cucumber is okay i guess, gives a nice texture.
For seasoning i'd recommend plain rice vinegar seasoned with twice the sugar ratio to salt. Boil, cool down and fold into rice. You'll have to test the right amounts yourself.
Also disregard those who will come to this thread and spout shit about authenticity and california rolls, sushi is made to be enjoyed not sperged over. Unless you're in Japan
>>7342590
>Being "authentic" is overrated. If it is tasty and fits the dish like smoked salmon, go for it.
>>7342598
>sushi is made to be enjoyed not sperged over. Unless you're in Japan
Yes, I definitely think so too, however, if one does not know the "real" thing very well, which is the case for me, I think it is still a good idea to stay somewhat close to the "real deal" to start with. It just doesn't feel right to say >OK, imma go make me some sushi, and then I end up with Couscous with fries, rolled into nori and dipped in Nutella... I leave those things to Jack.
I guess I can also do some variant of these folded japanese omelettes (damn, forget the name), which would both give me some slack to match it to what I have available, yet it wouldnt be totally outlandish.
I have friends that won't eat raw fish but otherwise enjoy sushi. Usually i just get salmon and fresh tuna and sear it. Or i make japanes omeletts (tamagoyaki) to put inside. Try ananas/mango. Also delicious. And shrimps or surimi is tasty too. I also like to use sprouts. Looks nice and tastes good.
>>7342614
>And shrimps
Cooked ones I guess? Because raw is as hard to get as raw fish.
>or surimi is tasty too
I always dont know if I am fascinated or disgusted by that shit. I guess I gotta try.
>>7342622
Should have been more specific. Yes, cooked.
I, personally don't like the thought of surimi. My mom loves it so i always make a few surimi rolls for her. I've also made rolls using chicken breasts for those who don't like fish.
>>7342562
Frozen fish is fine, most sushi places serve frozen. Just be sure to defrost it in your fridge a day before serving.
Recipe: Tuna steak, chop it up, add spring onions and sriracha, mix well, add it in a maki roll.
>>7342646
>Frozen fish is fine
But not all frozen fish is created equal. It differs if you get some that's meant to be eaten raw, or if you get some random frozen shit from the supermarket.
>>7342646
I wouldn't trust raw tawed fish.
But meh, i would definietly eat that tuna from my local supermarkt's counter raw. Shit looks delicious everytime
you shouldn't eat raw fish for shusi just because it is fresh,
because they have parasites.
In Japan, fish for raw is clearly distinguished from fish for cooking
it is treated with special way (deep freeze) for raw eating.
so I think smoked salmon is good for avocados sushi roll.
and you can cook fishes
boiled shrimp, boiled squid, grilled fishes...
shushi vinegar is the best for sushi rice (酢飯),
but sushi rice is a little difficult to make,
so you can arrange it for your taste.
and I recommend
some salt and sugar, and squeezed lemon juice, and sesame seeds as your desired.
>>7342678
>some salt and sugar, and squeezed lemon juice, and sesame seeds as your desired.
For the rice?
salt and sugar I get, but lemon and sesame?
Normally, I would have thought to add rice vinegar. And what about boiliing a piece of kombu with the rice?
>>7342678
>In Japan, fish for raw is clearly distinguished from fish for cooking
>it is treated with special way (deep freeze) for raw eating.
i'm pretty sure that's not true
tamago sushi is very good if done right.
its just a fried egg, but a little sweeter
>>7342874
It is true you picklekisser
>>7342888
How do you even cook it without the special pan though?
>>7342893
nah i'm pretty sure just about all commercial fish is deep frozen
>>7342894
accept that it's not going to be perfectly rectangular/trim it, obviously.
>>7342894
Just buy the pan if you're serious about making sushi. Available at local Asian markets.
>>7342874
>i'm pretty sure that's not true
No, seriously. It's true. Fish is frozen for several reasons:
1) The ships are often very far from shore and freeze the fish on the ship to preserve it before they can get back to port (ever see the movie "The Perfect Storm", based on real events? Failure of their freezer is what forces the ship back to harbor through the hurricane)
2) Freezing the fish kills parasites; this is often done for safety reasons.
3) The fish often tastes better having been aged. This is done either fresh or frozen depending on the species and its intended use.
A couple videos you can check out:
The "Begin Japanology" documentary on the Tsukiji fish market shows how Tuna is aged before use in sushi
Several episodes of Anthony Bourdain's various programs describe the freezing and aging of fish for sushi. The one in Croatia features him visiting a Tuna farm. In this episode they eat fresh tuna right out of the water and Bourdain explains that is highly unusual and the fish is usually aged first. There is another one in which he visits Japan and he is at a high-end sushi bar and explains the exact same thing. Sorry, I can't recall exactly which episode that was because he has several episodes featuring Japan.
>>7342888
>tamago
So, according to wikipedia, its just
>Tamago is made by combining eggs, rice vinegar, and sometimes sugar or soy sauce.
Or maybe also
>Additionally, sake is used in some recipes. An alternative version includes a mix of shrimp puree, grated mountain yam, sake and egg, turned into a custard-like cake.
Seems like one can improvise quite a bit, to get something that would qualify as tamako? Any personal favorites?
>>7342894
>without the special pan though?
What does the folding actually add to it, besides
>muh grorious folded 1000times stronk nippon omelette
? Could you just do a thick omelette, and have something essentially the same, that just looks shittier?
>>7342944
i know fish is frozen, i was saying i'm pretty sure there's no difference between sushi fish and cooking fish as you buy it in supermarkets. but thanks for the info in any case.
>>7342950
the folding doesn't require a special pan, i've done it in round pans several times, you just trim it at the end.
>Could you just do a thick omelette
probably not, cooking something layer by layer is different to cooking it as one big mass
http://amzn.com/B00N4N2EP4
top-selling tamago pan on amazon. $18 USD. just buy it
>>7342955
>cooking something layer by layer is different to cooking it as one big mass
For things with different layers, or where I'd want some kind of texture, certainly, but I dont really see what it would add to eggs, but I am always willing to learn.
>>7342963
hey if you cook it in a bain marie or flip it regularly it could be ok but you won't get the same tender texture without controlling the cooking pretty hard with one big mass. folded omelettes are generally more tender
>>7342952
There is a difference. Fish that's meant to be eaten raw is frozen at a much lower temperature and kept there for a longer time in order to kill any parasites, fish that kill be cooked to kill the parasites doesn't need that and is just brought to a low enough temperature to stop it from going bad.
>>7342988
no i'm pretty sure they're all flash frozen regardless
>>7342888
How much different does the tamagoyaki taste like in jiro dreams of sushi?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFP5xD2l3ro
>>7343024
I haven't eaten at Jiros, but there are two main kinds of "omelet" in sushi.
One of them is a thin omelet which is then rolled up. It contains mostly egg and maybe a little mirin.
The "jiro" style one contains eggs of course, but also finely ground fish meat and a lot more mirin.
>>7343049
> finely ground fish meat
i'm pretty sure it's cum yam
>>7343054
No, it's fish meat. "Pike eel" usually. It's been shown countless times on the old Japanese iron chef show. Best example I can remember is the sushi battle, Morimoto vs. Nakazawa. I'm pretty sure it's on youtube.
>>7343060
oh looking it up it's actually both
>>7343060
>I'm pretty sure it's on youtube.
this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNX-yyKK80k
>>7342865
>And what about boiliing a piece of kombu with the rice?
pretty good
> but lemon and sesame?
I thougt lemon juice is good for a substitute for rice vinegar.
sesame seed is polular as home-cooking original sushi race's ingredient in Japan
some chopped pickle is also good.
you can make it salad style sushi.
>>7342960
Or you could just make tamagoyaki in a normal non-stick pan...
Eel sushi is usually cooked
One little morning bump.
How the hell do you cut maki rolls?
Even with a sharp knife, I always rip them apart. Or is my knife not sharp enough? And when I try to just press through, I simply flatten them, and press out the filling at the sides.
