cross your mind when it comes to sushi. However, if you’ve eaten sushi from a restaurant in a landlocked location you have most likely been served something that has been previously frozen. Actually, most sushi restaurants, landlocked or by the ocean, serve some form of frozen products. This is not a bad thing. Some seafood is frozen within minutes of being caught at sea with specialty equipment. This freshly frozen seafood is often better because it preserves the fish in its prime rather than spending a couple of days on ice waiting to be shipped. Frozen seafood should be allowed to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Types of Fish Used for Sushi
Albacore Tuna The Hawaiian tombo variety of fresh white tuna is preferable. The loin color ranges from light pink to a faint red. In fact, the very best cuts can often resemble light colored yellow-fin tuna. If tombo loins are unavailable, use shiro maguro or albacore tuna loins. For either variety, cut away the dark red blood line before use. If using shiro maguro, use a cooking torch to sear the outer portion of the fish.
Arctic Char Arctic char looks similar to salmon but is milder in flavor. Purchase fillets from the center portion of the fish. The skin may still be intact at the time of purchase, so carefully remove it before use.
Catfish Catfish is a very bony fish. For convenience, purchase boneless, skinless fillets. Look for larger-sized fillets as they offer the best texture when broiled.
Crawfish Whole crawfish are generally inexpensive and easy to prepare. Steam or boil them in light seasonings, then peel away the tail meat. If you’re short on time, purchase bags of pre-cooked tail meat. Pre-cooked crawfish tail meat may contain juices and spices from the cooking process. Rinse the tail meat under cool water. Squeeze out any excess liquid before use.
Ikura Translucent, bright orange balls of salmon roe can enhance almost any type of sashimi or sushi. The roe should be plump and moist. Before use, stir 2-3 tablespoons of Tempura Sauce (page 27) into the roe. Allow it to marinate up to 10 minutes before rinsing lightly with cold water. Discard any of the balls that appear hardened or deflated.
Lobster Lobsters can be purchased whole or in tail form for sushi purchases. For convenience, have your fish market steam your fresh lobster for you. Keeping the tail straight during cooking makes sushi preparation much easier. To easily achieve this, tie two lobster tails, leg side facing each other, together with kitchen twine before placing in boiling water.
Mackerel To prepare mackerel for sushi, the whole fish should be purchased. The fish are small and can be easily cleaned. Because of the oily nature of mackerel, it should be marinated before use.
Oysters When using oysters raw, begin with oysters that are still in their shells. Small Japanese oysters such as Kumamoto or kusshi are best for on the half shell applications. Be sure to purchase oysters in shells that are not cracked. Shells should also be closed. For recipes where the oysters will be completely cooked, opt for pre-shucked varieties that come packed in convenient tubs.
Salmon Purchase wild salmon fillets for sushi several days in advance. Prepare the salmon for sushi by covering it with a thick layer of salt. Allow the salt to set on the fillet for 5 minutes before rinsing it away with cold water. Pat the salmon dry and wrap it in a layer of parchment paper or waxed paper. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for 48 hours. To thaw the salmon, place it in the refrigerator overnight.
Sardines Whole sardines can be purchased fresh or frozen. Before use, fillet the sardines, removing the head, tail, innards, and bones. Grill lightly before making sushi.
Shrimp Shrimp are usually sold by their size. The number of shrimp per pound is listed. A smaller number represents a larger sized shrimp. For sushi purposes, 21-25 count shrimp are sufficient. Purchase fresh shrimp with the tails still intact. It is ideal to cook shrimp used for sushi so that the tails remain flat. Sweet shrimp, also called ama ebi, should be purchased whole.
Tuna (Yellowfin) Be sure to purchase tuna blocks rather than tuna steaks for sushi purposes. Many seafood markets and seafood counters now offer tuna blocks that are cut to the right size for slicing nigiri and sashimi cuts. Look for portions with a bright red color and no odor.
What’s Missing? By now, you’ve likely noticed that I have purposely omitted some of the expected sushi options. Freshwater eel (unagi), yellowtail (hamachi), octopus (tako), and blue fin tuna (hon maguro) are nowhere to be found and for good reason. The use of certain seafood has come under much scrutiny because of bad farming or fishing practices. In my opinion, the use of more sustainable options as well as a few creative additions, honors the true spirit of sushi. By using what is fresh and what is better for our oceans, we can charter new sushi creations as well as preserve the art itself.
Cutting Fish for Sushi
For both methods of cutting, use the entirety of your knife blade to make long, even cuts. (You never want to use a sawing motion when cutting fish.) Place the base of your knife at the cutting point and use one motion to pull the knife through the fish in one long motion. Your knife should travel from “heel to toe” for each slice of fish you cut. Angle your fish rather than your knife. It is much easier to make a clean cut when your knife travels in one direction. Your knife should travel through the fish in a straight vertical line. To achieve this, position the fish on the cutting board at an angle. Slices of fish for nigiri and sashimi differ according to the sushi chef (almost all cuts of fish are measured by finger lengths). Slices of fish are cut into “two by fours.” In sushi lingo, this represents approximately 2 fingers wide and 4 fingers in length.
The Angle Cut Method
Angle cutting works best for portions of fish that are cut into fillets. (The exceptions are arctic char and salmon.) First cut the fillet in half down the center, following the natural line of the fish. Take one half and position it at an approximate 45° angle on your cutting board. Lay your knife blade vertically against the fish to be sure that the grain of the fish runs against the blade of the knife. If this is not the case, flip the fish fillet over. To cut, place the base of the knife blade near the bottom of the fish fillet and cut away a small piece. This should start an angle on the fillet. Continue making cuts across the fish about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick or more as desired. The slices will be diamond-like in shape.
For arctic char and salmon, position the fish fillets so that the grain of the fish runs perfectly perpendicular to the bottom of the cutting board. Use your knife to make straight cuts across the fish. The slices will be rectangular.
Position the fist at a 45 degree angle.
