Sushi Rice

I debated doing a series on sushi for a while. And then it struck me that sushi epitomizes the A Year From Scratch ethos. You can buy kits, you can buy it pre-made in the grocery store, but if you take the time to make it yourself, you'll save a lot of money, and you'll blow some lower price sushi restaurants out of the water.

First, and arguably the most important part of making good sushi, is making good sushi rice. You may have to play around with brands that are available in your area. But Kagayaki is my favorite brand (and I've tried a lot of brands). You're more likely to find a good sushi rice in an asian market than an american supermarket. Also, don't be afraid to ask someone there what the best rice is. They'll know. It may be slightly more expensive than the lower quality alternatives, but it's worth it.

Next. Get a rice cooker. Even if it's a $10 rice cooker from Wal-Mart, it's going to do a better job than trying to cook the rice on the stove. Follow the directions for cooking the rice regarding the ratio of rice to water. Good sushi rice is going to take about 1 cup of water per cup of sushi rice. The brand I use works out to 225 grams of water per 215 grams of sushi rice, but it one cup to one cup.

While the rice is cooking, mix up the sushi seasoning. You can buy it premade, but it's simple enough to throw together. Plus you can tweak it all you like. The basic ratio is 4 parts (by weight) rice vinegar, 1 part salt, and 1 part sugar. Stir until it's all dissolved, or at least until it doesn't dissolve anymore. You want to use about 1/4 cup of seasoning per cup of uncooked rice. It will seem like a lot, but the rice will absorb some as it cools.

Keep an eye on the rice cooker. As soon as the rice cooker clicks off (or switches to warm), take it out and start it cooling. If you don't, you're going to burn the rice. 

If you can, transfer the rice to a larger, flat bottomed container, stir the rice vinegar mixture into the rice and mix well, cooling the rice as you go.

This mixture actually serves two functions. First, it will season the rice. Secondly, it help prevent bacterial growth as the rice cools to room temperature. Adding fresh seasoning in the right proportions will easily add a lot of depth to your rice, and as a result, your rolls and nigiri.