With sushi here in London so readily available, it’s easy to think of it as an everyday food, yet in Japan, they don’t tend to eat sushi every day.
When folks in Nippon do eat it out, it’s most likely as a treat or to celebrate, more so than an everyday, lunchtime box of supermarket sushi. That said, there are many types of sushi that are simple to make. Sushi eaten out at a restaurant and sushi at home are really quite different for people in Japan.
It may seem daunting, but you needn’t worry about making sushi yourself. You don’t need ten years training in a Kyoto kitchen, or using expensive equipment. All you need to prepare beautiful sushi at home is a handful of ingredients, a few bits of kit, and some time to learn easy methods.
For full recipes check my book Sushi at Home, or join a class online or at Yuki’s Kitchen in SE London. Follow me at @yukiskitchen for regular tips and recipe reels too (there’s one on making the perfect sushi rice).
You’ll have a head start by getting the basics right. Most Japanese food is about getting some simple methods spot-on. Skip a key stage and the results won’t be right! For sushi, great sushi rice is all important, so start here. To make perfect sushi rice, cool it down properly so it stops cooking when the texture is right. Use a newspaper, a fan, or a hairdryer with a cold setting to cool it quickly. It is really easy to do and makes all the difference. After this, add a sushi-su vinegar to give it that distinctive aroma. Follow the recipe to the word, as each step is key to make sure you have perfect sushi rice, every time.
Once your rice is prepped, you’ll want some tasty fillings. This is where it gets fun and you can play with combinations of whatever is in season, or readily available. Using fresh, natural ingredients that can be bought easily and locally, a Japanese omelette called Tamago is a great place to start, as it’s a fun technique and just uses eggs. Then move on to other options like cooked crab, smoked salmon, mackerel, asparagus, cucumber, avocado, spinach, and green beans.
If using fish, find a fishmonger you trust. You don’t have to go to a Japanese fishmonger. Ask questions about where and when the fish was caught, and go for sustainable choices. If eating it raw, make sure it’s sushi grade. If unsure, just poach the fish, this tastes amazing too. In London, my go-to fishmongers are: Life of Fish, Moxons, and for UK wide home delivery via their website, The Wright Brothers.
Now for the kit and some tips for those core ingredients. The first five items are must haves, without these you can’t make sushi at home. The last five however, are for the keen sushi roller. You’ll only need these if you’ll be making it often. Some are just beautiful items in themselves, the wooden bowl for example, and lovely objects for the kitchen.
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Japanese Rice
Go for a Japanese variety of rice, such as Japonica rice, as this will be ideal for sushi making due to its short grain, and high starch content. A longer grain rice, such as Basmati, delicious as it is, is drier and not best for sushi. Koshihikari rice is one of the best quality originating from Toyama, Japan.
Or try Clearsping’s sushi rice. Grown more locally in the Piedmonte region of Italy, where they grow risotto rice. It is a Selenio rice variety, similar in characteristic to Japonica rice, and it’s organic.
Buy now £7.74, Amazon
Makisu - Sushi Rolling Mat
A lasting, natural bamboo version is best, as the stiff lengths of the bamboo allow you to better form the sushi rolls than silicone versions.
Buy now £1.40, Amazon
Nori - Seaweed Sheets
A thicker darker colour tends to be best, such as these by Oceans Halo. They are freshly produced, organic and sustainably harvested. With nori, I am always looking for that crispy, fresh texture for the first bite of sushi, which these sheets have in abundance.
Buy now £3.85, Ocado
Soy Sauce
Think of Soy sauce as you might olive oil, if you spend a little more than average, there is a considerable jump up in quality and taste. Try some of the deeper, richer flavoured versions; these are full of umami.
Avoid dunking your sushi in too much soy sauce, just dab a little, otherwise sushi can be far too salty an experience. Start with Japanese brands such as Kikkoman, who produce this lesser known, higher quality Tokusen Yuki Shoyu Soy Sauce, delicious!
For an artisan choice, try this unique smoked soya sauce, by the Wasabi Company. It is smoked using cherry wood and it works really well with salmon sushi.
Buy now £7.98, Amazon
Rice Vinegar
Make your own sushi-su, it’s so easy and you’ll taste the difference. You’ll then be in total control of how much salt and sugar you put in, as the pre-made version can be far too salty or too sweet. Experiment with what works best for you. For my recipe, I love a brown rice vinegar such as the one Clearspring. It has a far rounder, gentle taste. Check the label as many have artificial ingredients and citric acids inside, browner versions are often deeper in taste and better quality.
Buy now £2.40, Ocado
Fan
It is key to cool down the rice once cooked to the exact time, to stop it from overcooking and losing its form. This is a really important step, don’t skip it!
Keep it simple by fanning with a newspaper (the Evening Standard is ideal, natch), you don’t have to buy any kit for this. However, if you’re making it often, invest in, a desktop fan, use a hair dryer on a cold setting (my favourite option), or a beautiful traditional Japanese fan.
Buy now £3.99, Amazon
Real Wasabi
Real wasabi from the UK! Much of the wasabi in tubes is a green-coloured horseradish: not great. The real stuff is a pleasure to use, a ritual in itself and tastes great. You could also treat yourself to a grater, and learn the Japanese way to grate the wasabi so it is fresh and fiery for every serving.
For a top quality tube of Wasabi, to keep in the fridge, try Yutaka Premium (Hon) Wasabi Paste. Kodawari means ‘Pursuit of Perfection’ and each tube contains 65 per cent top quality wasabi from Shizuoka prefecture.
Buy now £20.00, The Wasabi Company
Hangiri - Rice Container
A traditional Hangiri is a beautiful object in itself. Hangiri are made from Cypress wood which has natural antibacterial properties. Cypress has hydroscopic properties, these allow it to both absorb and release moisture. This regulates moisture content holds the sticky texture of your rice longer than any other material.
You can easily use an oven tray or any large container that will allow you to spread the rice out when you are cooling it and mixing in the sushi-su. A shallow low Le Creuset is also ideal, and can be used for plenty of other recipes (and they are so easy to clean!).
Buy now, The Wasabi Company
Japanese Knife
A crafted Japanese knife such as those from the Kai range, is ideal for sushi and razor sharp, allowing you to perfectly cut those rolls. Keep the knife a little wet for each slice, but not so much that it makes the nori soggy!
You can also use a sharp cheese knife, the type with holes cut into the blade, as this prevents the knife from sticking when cutting each piece. A Japanese knife is a worthwhile investment, if you’re getting serious about Japanese cooking. Ideal for sushi is the Kai Shun Pro Yanagiba 9.5 inch.
Buy now £165.99, Kai
Tamagoyaki Omelette pan
It’s rectangular! Another great bit of kit. Learn the folding technique for making these beautiful layered omelettes that are perfect for sushi rolling. You might have seen this in Jiro Dream of Sushi, watch it to see how this sushi master shows his technique for making this beautiful, layered omelette. Using these is great fun during my sushi classes.
Buy now £23.70, Amazon
Yuki Gomi is a cookery writer and teacher. She is the author of Sushi at Home and can be found on Instagram @yukiskitchen.
