Ahhh~~~ Finally for me, a 'zen' moment making sushi.
In case you didn't read my
food blog misadventure making marinated mackerel with a fish, that wasn't in fact mackerel, you may understand why it took me a couple years to give it a try again.
Finally there is a reliable local fish market that sells fish specifically for making sushi! I even gave Sakanaya kudos by writing
a Yelp review.
First, I coated a frozen fillet of the Norwegian mackerel in kosher salt and refrigerated it a few hours to thaw. I understand it should be salted for at least 30 minutes. It was still slightly frozen but with handling, thawed right out. Rinse the salt off well and pat it well to dry with paper towels.
Create your marinade according to personal taste. I used unseasoned rice vinegar 10 parts to maybe 1 part mirin. I found a mixture similar to this, maybe slightly heavier in mirin, to be ideal for seasoning the sushi rice.
Submerge the fish and let it soak for 1-2 hours. The acids will cause the flesh to turn white, basically cooking it (as in, ceviche). I was impatient and it was getting late so I marinated for only 30 minutes which was fine.
Make your sushi rice. Use Japanese short grain rice. Before I bought a bag of sushi rice at the big Asian market, I used California-grown sushi rice. I was fine but I am happy with my current batch.
Measure according to need. I found 3/4 cup of rice to be plenty for myself.
Put the rice into a mesh sieve and over a bowl of water. Put your hands in and move the rice around. When the water is milky white, change for a fresh bowl. This will typically take 3 bowl-fulls until it is mostly clear. Drain the water and let the rice sit in the strainer for 30 minutes or so.
I made the rice using kombu (a type of dried kelp) for the first time.
Kombu lends flavor that is deep, complex, almost vaguely smoky. It is an essential ingredient in making miso soup. I purchased some at Whole Foods but certainly any health food store should have it. Can you believe there is
a blog dedicated to kombu?
http://www.umamiinfo.com/ is also a fascinating site.
Use a piece around 2 x 4" and slice it with scissors to help release flavor.
Put the sushi rice in a small pot with cover, pour in 3/4 cup of water a place the kombu on top.
Bring to boil over medium heat. Once boiling, cook for 3-5 minutes and adjust heat in case the saucepan boils over.
Reduce heat to very low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Lift the lid and remove the kombu.
Transfer rice to a bowl and initially sprinkle with seasoned vinegar. Gently mix and add more seasoning, until it tastes how you'd like.
Remove mackerel from marinade and carefully peel off outer skin. It helps to start from the underbelly corner (white). Some of the iridescent skin may peel off with it but try peeling from a new spot if flesh comes off.
Put your fillet on a plate and have a good pair of tweezers handy to pull out any small bones. You will definitely know they are there because the fish should not feel grisly.
Next:
Making Pressed Sushi
First off, find a suitable container to press your sushi in. I found metal mini-loaf pans to be ideal. They cool down fast and the width was the same of the filet I worked with.
Line your container with plastic wrap (once squished down, lifts out easily).
Slice your mackerel into perfect little filets and arrange in the container. Keep in mind how it will look, unmolded. The shiny skin has a lot of appeal. It is also fine to show off the evenly cut sides.
Optionally, thin slice up some green onions and mix with some sushi rice. I made some with the green onions and some without and I have to say the green onions are a must! If you leave them out they can also be used as a garnish.
Always use damp hands to work with super-sticky sushi rice. Portion some on top of the fish, wash or wipe your rice-hands then top the rice with plastic wrap and press down. It helps to have containers that nest but your own hands feel more and that is fine.
I refrigerated overnight and ate the delectable little pieces for lunch... And dinner the next day! The taster also had a piece and- get this- ate just the fish, not the rice!
What he really wanted (and had) for dinner: some fresh-baked Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Fruit Cookies.
More sushi for me ;D.
Take a 2 x 4" piece of kombu and cut slits in it.
