cups (500 ml) low sodium vegetable stock or dashi
¼ cup (65 ml) sake
¾ cup (185 ml) soy sauce
1 Place the jaggery or piloncillo and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the chunks. Add the sake to the saucepan. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes or until it has reduced by about ¼ cup (65 ml). Stir in the soy sauce and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture reach a boil.
2 Cool the sauce completely before using. (Sauce will thicken as it cools.) Cover and refrigerate until it’s ready to use.
Spicy Mayonnaise
This is perhaps the most popular sauce for sushi.
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
MAKES A LITTLE OVER 1 CUP (250 ML)
1 cup (250 ml) mayonnaise
3 teaspoons garlic chili sauce
2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
Pinch of salt
Place all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir together until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.
Anchovy Mayonnaise
You’ll be surprised that, despite the anchovies, it doesn’t taste fishy.
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
MAKES A LITTLE OVER 1 CUP (250 ML)
1 cup (250 ml) mayonnaise
4 tablespoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
Salt to taste
Place the mayonnaise, anchovy paste, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well. If desired, stir in salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until use.
Wasabi Mayonnaise
Adding too much wasabi powder to this mayonnaise results in an undesired grainy texture. Instead, rely on the kick this sauce delivers as a subtle aftertaste.
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
MAKES A LITTLE OVER 1 CUP (250 ML)
2 tablespoons wasabi powder
3 tablespoons water
1 cup (250 ml) mayonnaise
½ teaspoon soy sauce
Pinch of salt
Stir together the wasabi powder and water in a small sauce dish. Place the mayonnaise in a small bowl and spoon in the wasabi mixture. Add the soy sauce and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
Dashi Stock
This can be made in minutes, resist the urge to let it boil for too long or it will become bitter.
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS (750 ML)
One 2 x 2 in (5 x 5 cm) piece kelp (konbu)
2½ cups (625 ml) water
½ cup (15 g) dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
Wipe both sides of the kelp with a damp cloth. Add the kelp and water to a small pot and bring almost to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the kelp. Stir in the bonito flakes. Allow the flakes to set in the pot undisturbed until they sink to the bottom. Strain the stock through cheesecloth, discarding the flakes.
VARIATION
Hondashi Instant Soup Powder Method
Bring 2½ cups (625 ml) of water to a boil in a small pot. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1¼ teaspoons of hondashi powder. Allow to set for 5 minutes before using. For best results, use the stock the day it is prepared.
Chapter 1
Appetizers
To make sushi a complete meal, you’ll need a few additions to the sushi menu. A quick salad, some easy dumplings or perhaps even a platter of crisp tempura vegetables could serve as a delicious first course. Of course, appetizers can also serve as a well-deserved treat for home sushi chefs to nibble as they diligently work on preparing the much-anticipated sushi.
For convenience, appetizers such as the Quick Cucumber Salad (page 32) or the Sesame Soba Salad (page 33) can be made completely in advance. The Chicken Dumplings (page 36), Fragrant Herb and Mushroom Spring Rolls (page 39), and Japanese-style Crab Cakes (page 38) can be prepared up to the stage just before cooking. Simply store them in the refrigerator up to 1 full day in advance and finish the final cooking phase about 30-45 minutes before serving. For groups, serve each appetizer on a platter rather than individual serving plates.
Grilled Yakitori Skewers
There are so many flavorful parts of a chicken beyond the breasts such as the wings, thighs, skins, gizzards, livers, and more. Each one possesses such a unique texture and flavor, that I can rarely pick just one as a favorite. Having a selection of different parts heightens the grilled skewers experience. The thigh skewers emerge tender and juicy, while the skins are salty and crunchy. And the gizzards? They have a smoky flavor with a texture that is both chewy and crunchy.
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
MAKES ABOUT TWENTY-FOUR 4-INCH (10 CM) SKEWERS
2 bunches of green onions (scallions), green and white parts
½ lb (250 g) chicken gizzards
1 lb (550 g) chicken thighs, boned, skins reserved
¾ cup (185 ml) soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2
