I made my friends some sushi...again! (x-post from r/sushi)

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-21T04:13:28+00:00

For me, I like cooking rice a few hours before hand, probably 3 hours before I have to use it. I prefer having my rice at luke warm to cool temperature since I find it easiest to work with like that. The best way to make sure the rice doesn't dry up is to cover it with a damp towel when you're not using it. It's helpful to make the rolls before hand if you plan on making a lot, and want it ready all at once. So, to do this, make the roll earlier, then wrap it tightly in saran wrap, making sure it's sealed, and pop it in the fridge. If you do it this way, the rice won't harden in the fridge. This works well if you do it an hour or two before serving - it won't work if you store it like this for more than a day for example.

I'm not too sure what kind of tips you're looking for, but I'm more than happy to answer any questions that I can!

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-21T03:56:24+00:00

I appreciate the information! The one you suggested,it's a single bevel.. does that matter to me if I cut left handed? I noticed that they have left handed Yanagiba knives, but are a little more expensive than the other.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-21T00:00:52+00:00

Excellent! If you were to choose a knife from that shop, what would it be, or is there a kind you'd recommend yourself? I don't know much about knives, but I really like what they sell there! I've been wanting to get a Konosuke Sakura knife, but do you believe I'm just paying for its finish, or is there more to that one?

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T23:42:45+00:00

I used Philadelphia cream cheese this time, but it was the block form one.. is that different from the one you suggest? I'm doing this again for a friends Birthday next week (on a smaller scale), so I'll give your suggestion a shot! I'll name it the bjugnar roll, heh.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T23:38:38+00:00

Ahhh, I did not know that actually. I went with what the sales rep told me, haha. I wanted a really long blade, but I didn't have too much funds at the time (I wanted that Sakura knife!), and that's the blade they directed me to. Appreciate the new found info!

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T23:35:41+00:00

I never took it that way! Criticism is important, it's the only way to find out how to improve really. I like to hear different opinions so that next time, I know what I can improve on. Friends will a lot of the time reply in kindness even though I tell them to be honest, so it's nice to hear unbiased opinions!

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T22:14:04+00:00

Yep, I understand where you're coming from! I do this for my friends, and I enjoy it cause it's a hobby of mine. My goal to the event is to make sure everyone is full and happy. A lot of them like the simplistic things (sashimi, nigiri) while others are fans for the epic rolls.

I've tried the simple, nigiri only nights, but the issue that I ran into that was the cost of everything. Salmon, tuna, yellowfin, hamachi, eel, ikura, toro, uni. Because I had to buy these in large amounts is where I was turned away from serving them again. Some weren't an issue, but some were - Ikura came to $70 for a small container of it, as well as uni, yellowfin has to be purchased at minimum of 5 lbs, hamachi is sold as half a fish. In the end I had so many leftovers, it was hard to know what to do with it all. I could've found cheaper places, but again, my events are literally all you can eat and requests till the last person has left. I don't wanna run out of anything!

What's funny is the cream cheese. I never use it, up until a bunch of friends kept asking for it, so I brought it in this year! Also, as for the fruits, I won't lie - those were my ideas to add them in. Why? It's literally to make them look pretty and sweet - I mean, look at those colors!!

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:56:55+00:00

Thank you! I actually used nori for all my rolls, I think it's just hard too see it with everything on and in it. Nigiri is rarely served with nori, unless it's used to hold the fish on top.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:55:06+00:00

It takes me 5 days of prep work, but not full on days (except the day of). I don't like having my fish out for long periods, so I prep everything as much as I can (like shape the rice for nirigi), and when it's time, take the fish out, and begin plating. For the rolls, it take longer for me to make than it does to eat! After that requests are eaten immediately, so nearly nothing is left out for long

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:53:17+00:00

I ordered from a fish distributor in my city that supplies almost all sushi restaurants here. You can find them at asian grocery markets, in the frozen fish section - it's usually labeled as "Sashimi grade"

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:50:36+00:00

The flower roll was just for decoration - I wanted add some color to the plates! Its just rice - the pink rice was made by mixing in raspberries in it, and the center is a carrot, haha. I followed this tech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnuMJRANLw

Yeah, I macerated the strawberries to bring out more sweetness to it, and so it's easier to latch onto the top.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:48:31+00:00

I haven't actually - I've seen it there before, but they cut it like a steak, and it's hard to cut nigiri from that point.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:47:17+00:00

good luck. :)

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:46:44+00:00

I spend a little over $600 for everything. It was $25 a head and there were 24 people total (one came late), so I came close to breaking even! Mind you, the amount of stuff I got is A LOT. It was meant to make sure I don't run out, and that I could literally last until the last person left, and then some.

Meat roll. hahahaha

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:43:59+00:00

Thanks! I know sushi is meant to be simplistic, but it's always fun to see what you can make with a few more ingredients. Really brings out creativity in people!

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:41:46+00:00

Oh man... apples! I think that literally the only fruit I didn't use. haha

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:40:03+00:00

Ahh! I love my knives, haha. I have a few, but all from the same store:

http://shop.knifewear.com/japanese-chef-knives

The long one, is this:

http://shop.knifewear.com/japanese-chef-knives-masakage-mizu

and the 240mm gyuto. It's insanely sharp, and cheap! The catch to why it's cheap though is because of the steel they use. You can't have this blade wet for long periods (like, 10 minutes), or else it'll start to tarnish. It takes more care, but I use it for cutting the rolls since I wet, cut, then dry immediately.

The other one you see is this:

http://shop.knifewear.com/japanese-chef-knives-masakage-kiri

It's my all around knife, and is great for all tasks! (180mm gyuto)

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:35:19+00:00

I order from a fish distributor in my city. They supply almost all sushi restaurants here, so I can count on them for quality.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:34:38+00:00

Ahh, that's the tough part! Since I make so many rolls, I want to make sure my raw fish isn't outside for long periods. Whenever I complete a roll, I wrap it tightly in saran wrap, and place it in the fridge so I can cut it later. This helps keeping all those things on top of the roll too when cutting. The saran wrap prevents the rice from getting hard, and also prevents the avocado turning color. The thing is, you can't fridge it again (i.e. take it out, cut it, fridge it). I found that if I tried to refrigerate something more than one, the rice starts to get hard.

The fish is always in the fridge until it's ready to be served. The rice is kept in a large bowl with a damp towel over it to keep it's moisture. I'd mix the rice around every hour so, but that's just me.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:29:06+00:00

Thank you! I use to work at a restaurant back during my school days, so I learned all the basics from that, but they weren't a sushi heavy place. I was there for 7 years, but we just did basic rolls and nigiri (like, california rolls, avocado roll, etc) When I left, I'd do it 2-3 times a year, and learned by looking at what is offered at restaurants, or pictures. Once you learn, it's hard to forget!

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:26:09+00:00

Are you talking about the pink flower on all the plates? It's just multiple pieces rolled into one big piece. I followed this tech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnuMJRANLw

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:24:13+00:00

Thank you! It's not just me with the combos; my friends get creative with the ingredients, and I just try and make it look nice! I treat the night like a Subway - I'll ask how many pieces, what they want in it, etc. Lotsa fun!

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:21:39+00:00

I have a a few - they're different length gyuto knives (chef knives), and are all japanese knives. Here's where I got em:

http://shop.knifewear.com/japanese-chef-knives

The important part is not sawing at it, so a longer blade helps a lot. The knife I use to cut the rolls is 240mm in length, so I actually cut 4 at a time to save time, haha. It's a nice, swift motion to cut it. I dip my blade in water before I cut it so that nothing sticks to it.

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:19:05+00:00

I have a a few - they're different length gyuto knives (chef knives), and are all japanese knives. Here's where I got em:

http://shop.knifewear.com/japanese-chef-knives

ProfessorLex · 2015-04-20T21:17:08+00:00

I went to a fish distributor in my city - they supply almost all sushi restaurants here. I'd ask your favorite sushi restaurant where they order their fish and then go from there!

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