How to Make Nigiri Sushi Like a Pro

Nigiri sushi is the most popular sushi served at sushi restaurants. Chef Andy Matsuda, the founder of Sushi Chef Institute in Los Angeles shows you how to make nigiri sushi with tuna, shrimp, and salmon.

What You Need:
(2) 1/2 Ounce Slices of Cooked Shrimp.
(2) 1/2 Ounce of Sliced Tuna
(2) 1/2 Ounce of Sliced Salmon
Sushi Rice
Wasabi

Step 1: Slice the Fish
Cut two tuna, salmon, and shrimp into1/2 ounce slices.

Step 2: Wet Your Hand
Wet both hand in Su water (water with a dash vinegar) and rub together. This works as a disinfectant.

Step 3: Roll the Rice
Pick up about 3/4 ounce of sushi rice with one hand. Squeeze and roll firmly in your hand until it sticks together.

Step 4: A Dab of Wasabi
Grab the sliced tuna in one hand and put a little wasabi with your index finger.

Step 5: Shape Your Sushi
Place the sushi rice on the wasabi side of the tuna. Holding the sushi in your left hand, press it with two fingers of your right hand. Rotate the sushi and repeat the process.

Step 6: Salmon and Shrimp
Repeat the process for salmon and shrimp.

Step 7: Garnish and Serve
Garnish the sushi and serve.

When it comes to sushi, you can ask Marisa anything. The general rule of thumb with sushi is that you eat it when you see in front of you, but how long can you keep a package of sushi you bought at the supermarket?
Marisa is the only person I know who has a definitive answer to this question.

Marisa Baggett shares the art of sushi as a traveling itamae and teaches sushi classes. Here is her wisdom:

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

Thoughts on sushi leftovers

How long can I keep my sushi? This question, along with several variations (can I keep sushi in the refrigerator like they do in grocery stores; what can I do with leftover sushi rice) is something that I am often asked. Before I give my answer, please keep in mind that although some sushi may contain raw seafood, sushi does not mean raw fish. Sushi is a word that refers to a dish made with vinegar dressed rice. Sometimes the seafood for sushi is cooked, sometimes it is not. Sometimes there is no seafood at all. With those things in mind, my short answer is that sushi containing vegetables or fully cooked seafood is just as safe as any other form of fully cooked leftovers. But…

Sushi, regardless what form it comes in, is best consumed within minutes of being made. If the sushi happens to contain nori, serving within this time frame prevents the nori from becoming tough and chewy. Also, the longer sushi rice sets, the more it begins to dry out and stiffen. Placing sushi rice in a refrigerator accelerates this process and after just a few short hours, the texture of the rice is often completely changed for the worst.  For these reasons, sushi is best ordered and consumed a few pieces at a time.  If still hungry, you can always order more.  This is the proper way to order sushi in a sushi bar and it is much easier to eliminate the question of leftovers when you order this way. But…

Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and we accidentally order or make more sushi than we can consume in one sitting. So when this is the case, can sushi be successfully saved as leftovers? Yes. It would be a shame as well as uneconomical to waste these items. Though the texture will slightly change, there are ways to save leftovers from your favorite sushi bar or those delicious rolls you toiled over at home. Please don’t purposely over order or over make sushi for the sake of having leftovers. The following tips are intended for rare occasions when leftovers cannot be avoided. 

Save Only What’s Fresh. It should go without saying that any sushi you’re currently eating should be fresh. By fresh, I’m referring to freshly made sushi rice as well as any vegetable or seafood fillings (cooked or raw).  Do not eat or save any items that are not fresh. When in doubt, throw it out.

Live by the One Day Rule. Sushi that was fresh to begin with can be successfully saved for 24 hours without sacrificing safety. (Raw items may be saved if refrigerated in a timely manner.) Keeping leftover sushi beyond this point greatly sacrifices the quality.  (You may have noticed that prepackaged grocery store sushi has a 2-3 day shelf life. Rice for these rolls is oversaturated with sushi rice dressing to compensate for the inevitable drying out of the rice. Extra preservatives and corn syrup are often also added to the rice.)

Within Half An Hour. If you’re out on the town and have leftover sushi, it should be okay to save if you can get it refrigerated within half an hour. Sooner is always better. If you’re not headed straight home, you may want to reconsider taking your leftovers with you, especially if you have sushi items that contain raw seafood. Or if you’re making sushi at home, pack any leftovers to save as soon as you’re done.

Utilize Damp Cloths. To keep sushi rice from drying out too much, wet a couple of clean lint free kitchen towels with cool water. Squeeze out excess water. Spread one towel flat on a plate. Place pieces of sushi to be saved on top of towel. Cover sushi with the other towel. Wrap towel covered sushi tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Though this will help keep rice from drying out, it will not help with the texture of the nori. This technique works best for inside out sushi rolls and nigiri.

To save leftover sushi rice, line a non-metal bowl with a damp, lint free kitchen towel. Place rice in bowl. Cover with another damp, lint free kitchen towel. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Because of the texture change, day old sushi rice is best when used in applications where the final product is cooked further such as fried rice or stirred into soups.

Ways to Use Day Old Sushi Rice

Tempura Crab Rangoon Maki

Grilled Sushi Rice Cakes with Spicy Orange Soy Dip

Ultimate Fighting Match of Top Sushi Chefs

Introduction:

If memory serves me right, “Nigiri” style sushi dates from the Edo era. Sushi was fast food for the common folk to pick up from vendors, and was called “Edo-mae-zushi.” The artistic harmony between seafood and vinegared rice. Sushi has now become the ultimate international Japanese food.

I also love sushi. And I think it’s about time we had a sushi battle. So it is that actor and film director Naoto Takenaka has strongly recommended to me a particular sushi bar.
A chef who take pride in being in the vanguard of Edo-mae style, which has a tradition of 180 years. Maximizing the flavors of seafood in season. Sounds good. Come in and show us that.

Today’s challenger: an evangelist of Edo-style sushi. Owner of Sushi-sho in Yotsuya. Chef Keiji Kakazawa. He entered this field at age 15. During the first 10 years, he apprenticed at many top sushi bars. And at Kyubei, one of the top sushi bars in Ginza, he completed this training. And at only 30, he opened his own place, Sushi-sho in Yotsuya, to carry on the tradition of Edo style sushi. Nakazawa’s works are fusions of traditional and modern ideas. They speak of the heart of Edo culture.

Takenaka visited the challenger to loosen him up before the battle. Now, Nakazawa! Use your skills that Takenaka trusts and show us what Edo food culture is all about!

Who knew that a sushi set could be make out of lego. This is a fine work of art. Lego Sushi set that looks almost like the real thing. Taken from Big Daddy Nelson Flickr page. With every piece intricately crafted, this set reflects the artist’s wild imagination and creativity.

Source: Big Daddy Melson Flickr

Laocook demonstrates how to make Sushi Maki

The video starts out with a pop music for a dramatic effect.
Making a sushi roll is not that difficult, but have you tried making one with a daikon wrap?
This video shows you just that. A pretty cool technique.

What you need:
Nori sheets
Sushi rice
Cooked king prawns
Avocado
A bowl of water with a slice of lime

Place a sheet of nori on a sushi mat covered with a plastic wrap.
Layer the sushi rice on the rori sheet.
Cut the king prawns into pieces and place them on the rice.
Place the pieces of avocado on the rice as well.
Gently roll the sushi mat.

The chef also demonstrates an amazing daikon cutting technique.
Cut the daikon into a sheet and place it on the sushi mat.
Put the sushi roll on the top and gently roll the mat.
Cut the roll into six pieces and place the on a complementary plate.