KYOCERA presents sushi tips from a professional chef: How to make the Japanese specialty dish at home

Fresh ingredients and the right utensils

While the quality and freshness of the ingredients you use are important, it is also important to use the right tools. Cutting gently and carefully is essential in order to avoid fraying or tearing the fish. Kyocera, the Japanese ceramic knife specialist, offers a wide range of high-quality knives with various designs to meet the highest standards.

Shin series: Quick and easy home-made sushi

Kyocera will present its new Shin knife series, a new innovation for the European market, at the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany. The Shin series features an extremely durable Z212 ceramic blade, which remains sharp for twice as long as other ceramic blades from Kyocera, thanks to a new, innovative production method. The ergonomic handle enables an even more comfortable grip as well as greater control, and the slight bend in the back of the knife allows the blade to slice effortlessly through fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, the knives are incredibly light, extremely flexible and non-corrosive. Since the blade does not transfer any metal ions, it does not leave behind any smell or taste.

This is what makes the Shin series particularly well suited for preparing the Japanese specialty dish in your own kitchen. The knives allow you to cut through fish and vegetables comfortably and quickly, turning them into bite-sized delights.

Preparing the perfect sushi rice

Take approximately 300 grams of rice for two people, and wash it in cold water until the water is clear. The ratio of uncooked rice to water should be 1:1. Cook the rice either in a rice cooker or in a regular pot.

Tip: Rest the rice in the water for 15 to 20 minutes before heating. This will allow you to achieve the perfect, fluffy and sticky texture that is required when rolling and forming the sushi rice.

Bring the water to the boil and then cook the rice at low heat until it has absorbed all of the water. Now it is time to prepare the sushi ‘su’. This is the vinegar mixture that you will marinate the rice in after it has been cooked.

Dissolve 10 g of sea salt and 20 g of white sugar in 35 ml of heated rice vinegar in a small pot. The hot rice is then mixed with the vinegar mixture and left to cool in a bowl – that is as flat as possible – for 30 minutes.

Cutting vegetables made easy

Prepare the vegetables while waiting for the rice to cool. Cut the ingredients into fine slices to use as maki fillings. Traditional Japanese chefs use the ‘katsuramuki’ knife technique to cut long, round vegetables such as cucumbers, radishes and carrots along the circumference to produce a continuous, extremely thin, virtually transparent sheet of vegetable.

Tip: You increase the surface area of the ingredients by cutting finely, which in turn significantly enhances the taste. The Kyocera Shin ceramic knife makes this particularly easy, since it lies comfortably in your hand and can be handled very precisely. Alternatively, you can also use the Kyocera universal slicer.

Rolling sushi the right way: hosomaki

Hosomaki is a sushi dish that is especially well suited for beginners. The small sushi roll, which typically includes only one ingredient, can be filled with cucumber, salmon, tuna or avocado, according to your tastes. The possibilities are endless. Fish is traditionally used as the filling, but vegetarian makis are also very tasty. Place half a sheet of nori seaweed lengthwise along the front edge of the maki mat, and spread a layer of lukewarm sushi rice on it.

Tip: It is easier to form the rice if you slightly moisten your fingers beforehand.

Leave a 1 cm-wide stripe free of rice on the upper side of the nori seaweed. Place the filling horizontally along the centre of the rice. You can also add wasabi to make a spicier maki.

Now roll the sushi using the maki mat. Apply some water to the rice-free edge of the nori to make the roll stick together. Cut the maki into small pieces, and serve with soy sauce and a side of ginger and wasabi.

You can find additional recipes and tips from sushi chef Timo Könnecke in the recipe booklet included with the Sushi Starter Set from Kyocera.
 

[1] OpenTable survey 2016: Generation Gourmet
[2] Based on internal measurements carried out at Kyocera

For more information about Kyocera:www.kyocera.eu