How to Make Nigiri and Sashimi
Nigiri and Sashimi are two traditional Japanese dishes that have become popular across the globe. They’re easy to make at home and can be served with wasabi, pickled ginger and soy sauce to enhance flavor.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Nigiri:
- 1 cup sushi rice uncooked
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar
- 2 teaspoons wasabi
- 8 oz toppings pick a favourite from salmon, tuna, shrimp ebi, tamago egg, yellowtail hamachi, or eel
Instructions
Nigiri:
- Step 1: Cook the Sushi Rice: Wash and rinse the rice with cold water. Add the rice and water to the rice cooker. Cook according to the instruction.
- Step 2: Season the Rice: Transfer the rice to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still very warm, stir in the sushi vinegar.
- Step 3: Prepare the Topping: If you use raw fish, cut it against the grain, with an angle of 30 to 45 degrees. I recommend cutting it to 3-inch long, 1-inch wide, and 1/4-inch thick pieces.
- Step 4: Shape the Rice: Place about 3 tablespoons of rice in your hand. Squeeze it together until it rolls into a firm oval shape. Make the bottom flat with the rounded top.
- Step 5: Assemble the Nigiri: Place the fish, egg, or veggie slice on the root of your fingers. Then take a pea-sized portion of wasabi, and spread it in the middle of the slice. Place the rolled sushi rice onto the topping slice, and bend your fingers to cover both the topping and rice together. Press down the rice using the index finger from the other hand. Turn the topping and rice and let the topping slice sit on top of the rice.
Sashimi:
- Slice the Fish: Cut the raw yellowtail fish against the grain. You can cut it straight down or at an angle. You can adjust the angle to get the proper length and thickness.
- Arrange Yellowtail Sashimi: On a cold plate, add the optional shredded daikon.
- Layout yellowtail sashimi slices, together with optional wasabi, pickled ginger, and other ingredients.
- Serve with soy sauce and enjoy!