We are not born taught and, although the sushi burst onto the Spanish gastronomic scene many years ago, there may still be someone in the room who doesn’t know what it is or has a misconception of the term. Something much more common than we think.
In Spain (and in many other countries) we use the word sushi to refer to all kinds of japanese preparations based on raw fish, but this is just a generic term. There is an extensive variety and styles of this dish and the nigiri or nigirizushi, the star of the day, is one of them.
The truth is that the word specifically designates any dish in which vinegared rice is used. As a general definition, sushi is based on the combination of this raw fish and rice. Although there are exceptions with cooked fish, shellfish, vegetables, tortilla and other ingredients.
At present, it has become the most international product of Japanese cuisine, very much incorporated into our diets and consumed regularly in our country. exist more than 30 varieties of sushi, but the most popular are maki, futomaki, hosomaki, uramaki, kazari sushi, temaki, nigirizushi, gunkanzushi, inarizushi, oshizushi and chirashizushi.
The different shapes and elements in the composition of sushi make this dish a spectacle for the eyes and the palate. Ideal to show off with guests, make homemade sushi It’s not difficult, although it requires patience and practice to get it perfect, as well as planning when getting down to business.
Nigiri or nigirizushi: the most suitable for debuting with homemade sushi
If it catches your attention and you want to try it, we recommend starting with the nigiri or nigirizushi: an oval of sushi rice on which a sheet of fish, shellfish, tortilla or other ingredients is placed. Sometimes it is closed with a thin strip of nori seaweed (as a belt) to hold the ingredients that stick out too much.
the nigiri more common they are fish, especially salmon and tuna. But not all the ingredients that crown the oval of rice come from the sea. There are also vegetable nigiris (avocado, cucumber, pepper,…), omelette, meat (very common in Nikkei cuisine) and whatever the imagination has.
There are also from seared fish, perfect for those who are not lovers of raw fish, common in almost all Japanese restaurants. In some cases out of necessity, such as octopus or eel nigiri, two products that require cooking to consume.
The first thing to do is to have the rice for sushi about 30 minutes before assembling the nigiri. It shouldn’t be hot, but it shouldn’t be cold either. In fact, it should not be put in the fridge, as it dries out and loses elasticity.
We are not going to bore you with the recipe, we do not want this post to be endless. You can see the details and the step by step in our post, although we will tell you in advance what the Ingredients needed: sushi rice, water, sugar, salt and rice vinegar.
Just before assembling the nigiri we laminate the fish chosen, which we will have in the fridge until now. Keep in mind that this is a preparation in which the fish is consumed raw and it is essential to respect food safety standards.
In our case we have used a salmon loin, it is the fish that is most comfortable for us to handle. It is key to use a good knifewith a long and well-sharpened blade, to be able to make a clean cut in a single pass, approximately 1/2 cm thick.
If the salmon slices are too wide or long, we can adjust them later when we have formed the rice ovals. Meanwhile the cover with plastic wrap so that they do not lose juiciness on contact with the air.
Once the rice has been prepared with its corresponding tempering, we prepare the work table with all the necessary elements for the assembly of the nigiris: the rice, the wasabi and the freshly laminated fish. To this we add a bowl with warm water, necessary to moisten the hands and work the rice without it sticking to them, and a kitchen cloth.
With the moistened hands we take approximately 20 grams of rice. We place it at the base of the fingers, where they join the palm of the hand, and with the thumb of the same hand we gently hold the rice. We press with the thumb and ring fingers of the other hand we shape the sides of the nigiri.
Then we slightly round the ends, so that they are curved, we rotate the piece of rice and repeat the operation two more times. It is important that there is no not too loose so that it doesn’t fall apart, not too pressed so that it is not dense.
Once the rice ovals are ready, cover each one with a strip of fish (salmon in this case). We can spread it lightly with wasabi, on the side that will be in contact with the rice, or place it as is. We serve immediately accompanied by soy sauce, marinated ginger, horseradish strips, wakame seaweed, etc.
When dipping in the soy sauce, you have to turn them slightly so that they only wet the fish, trying not to overdo it so as not to lose the taste of the fish. It is introduced in the mouth with the fish in the lower part so that it comes into contact with the tongue and the enjoyment is total.
Kai Europe Shun – Tomato Knife, 15 centimeters
With what to accompany the salmon nigiri or nigirizushi
We cannot think of a better accompaniment for the salmon nigiri or nigirizushi than other varieties of sushi on the table, with bowls of soybeans, pickled onions, horseradish and a bit of wasabi. And for seaweed lovers, we also include a wakame seaweed salad.
In DAP | easy sushi recipe
In DAP | 28 sushi recipes to celebrate a World Sushi Day to everyone’s taste