Untitled Document
It seems as if sushi is everywhere these days —
in eclectic restaurants that offer a bewildering (and, unfortunately,
sometimes badly executed) mix of cuisines, in Chinese megabuffets, and even
in plastic tubs in grocery stores. Even so, many people still have mistaken ideas about
sushi, and some think there’s a gross-out factor: “Yuck! Raw
fish!”
Well, not necessarily. The term “sushi”
refers to a method of rice preparation, one that oftentimes, but by no
means always, is garnished with thinly sliced uncooked fish. Other
garnishes include strips of savory omelette, cooked crab or shrimp, fried
soft-shell crab, and barbecued eel (the slightly sweet teriyaki-style
sauced eel is one of my favorites). Since sushi entered mainstream American dining,
options have expanded. Now there’s a California roll (crab or shrimp
and avocado, cucumber, and Japanese pickles), Philadelphia roll (with cream
cheese) and a host of other American innovations, many delicious though
untraditional. There are several types of sushi. Nigiri-zushi translates as
“hand-formed.” Sushi rice is formed into an ovoid and then
garnished. Another type is maki-zushi, or rolls. Most commonly, sheets of nori (pressed and dried laver, a
type of seaweed) are laid on a bamboo mat, layered with sushi rice and
other ingredients, and then rolled into a cylinder. Sometimes the rice is
on the outside. A subset is temaki-zushi, hand rolls, for which the filled nori is rolled into a cone.
Surprisingly, basic maki rolls are easier for amateur sushi makers than nigiri-zushi, though preparing
any kind of sushi takes practice. An occasional maki maker, such as myself, can
always count on their first of couple rolls to look a little ragged. Master sushi chefs in Japan, who spend years
perfecting their craft, are highly respected. Their creations can range
from the elegantly simple to the elaborately precise. Korea also has a
tradition of sushi, known as kimbap; in fact, some of the best sushi restaurants in Chicago
are owned by Koreans.
About that raw fish: It must be pristinely fresh, with a silky texture and no
fishy odor. When I go out for sushi, I’m looking for a place
that’s busy (ensuring that ingredients are used quickly) and makes
the sushi to order. Sushi that’s been hanging out on the buffet,
looking a little dried out around the edges? No, thanks! I’m also
suspicious of discount sushi. Sushi is about quality ingredients, cooked or
not. Those don’t come cheap, especially not that pristinely fresh
fish. I don’t mean to imply that a good sushi meal must be
outrageously expensive, just that it can’t be fast-food cheap. There aren’t any traditional sushi restaurants
in Springfield. Indigo and Bentoh’s have a small selection of decent
American-style maki rolls. Last year, when Curtis Hudson transformed
Soirée Bistro into the “Pacific Coast cuisine” Pao (2824
Plaza Dr., 217-546-4660), creating a sushi bar was a major part of the
plan. He brought in John Lawyer, who’d had some training but was
largely self-taught, to create the sushi menu. Lawyer wisely chose to offer
only two uncooked fish (yellowfin tuna and salmon) and a market selection
to guarantee freshness. Though there are a few traditional sushi
preparations, most of the 22 items (plus specials) fall into the
Americanized category. I haven’t tried them all, but those that
I’ve had were good. I thought that I was innovative when I created a
sushi-rice salad years ago. It was healthy, lots easier (though not quite
as much fun) as making maki-zushi, and my family loved it. Only recently did I discover that
the Japanese have been making it for years. Now my sushi salad has a
Japanese name: chirashi-zushi.
Send questions and comments to Julianne Glatz at
realcuisine@insightbb.com.
Chirashi-Zushi Sushi Salad with Seared Tuna
For the rice 2 cups Japanese short-grained (sushi) rice 2 1/2 cups water 1/3 cup seasoned rice-wine vinegar
Wash the rice in a colander under cold running water
until the water runs clear. Combine the rice and water in a large saucepan
and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan,
and simmer the rice until all of the water has been absorbed, about 20
minutes. Alternatively, use a rice cooker according to instructions. When the rice is cooked completely but before
it becomes mushy, turn it out onto a large shallow bowl or platter, tray,
or sheet pan. Immediately drizzle the vinegar over the rice. Toss
gently but thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula, being careful not to
mash or break the rice grains. Cool to room temperature.
For the omelette Four eggs 2 teaspoon soy sauce, preferably Kikkoman 2 teaspoon sugar
Whisk the eggs together with the soy sauce and sugar.
Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat over high heat. Add the
egg mixture and reduce heat to low. Cook until the eggs have set. Cool to
room temperature, then cut the eggs into cubes.
To finish the salad 1 to 1 1/2 pounds tuna, at least 1 inch thick 1/4 to 1/2 cup pickled ginger, cut into thin
matchsticks 2 to 4 cups of a variety of vegetables, according to
your preference and freshness (suggestions: blanched snow peas, daikon
radish, scallions, radishes, bean sprouts, crisp cooked green beans or
asparagus, cucumber, avocado, julienned carrot, chives or garlic chives,
zucchini)
For garnishes and condiments: One or two sheets of nori, cut into thin strips about 1 inch long, Toasted sesame seeds Ponzu sauce: 1/3
cup each of soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman) and lemon juice, mixed Wasabi paste
Sprinkle both sides of the tuna lightly with salt.
Spray a heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) with cooking spray and place
over high heat. When the skillet is very hot, sear the tuna for 30 seconds
to 1 minute on each side, depending on the thickness of the tuna. It should
just be seared on the outside and still rare in the middle. Set aside to
cool to room temperature Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces or thin slices
as appropriate. Seed but do not peel cucumbers and zucchini. Mix pickled
ginger, vegetables, and omelette cubes gently into the rice. Check for
seasoning. You may wish to add more vinegar. Mound the rice on a large platter. Cut the tuna into
thin slices and fan them around the rice mixture.
Sprinkle with a handful of the thinly sliced nori and the sesame seeds. Serve the wasabi and ponzu sauce on the side.
Serves four to eight.
This article appears in Mar 15-21, 2007.
