Master the Art of Sushi at Home With These Tips From a Top Chef

Sushi is one of those things that is so delicious to eat but seems so difficult to make. With that in mind, we’ve got some tips and a recipe from a pro sushi chef that will help you make it all at home.

Daniel Kwak is the Executive Chef at Sokyo in Sydney so has spent a fair bit of time making killer sushi. Here’s what he has to say about nailing this dish yourself at home.

Top tips for making sushi at home

It’s all about the rice

First and foremost, you need to ensure your rice is cooked perfectly – this is the most important part of making sushi, as no rice, no sushi! Don’t use a pressure cooker as the rice will be too soft and sticky.

Another tip is to use less water than when you would prepare normal steamed rice. Sushi vinegar is also important to add balance, and be careful not to add too much sugar – you don’t want your rice too sweet!

Choose quality fillings

If you’re making sushi rolls, you can literally put whatever you want – fresh seafood, chicken, tofu, vegetables. I like to add some crunch for texture, too. For nigiri sushi, you can easily grab filleted tuna, salmon or kingfish from your local fishmongers.

My tip would be to make sure you are getting the freshest seafood you can find, and the highest quality you can afford. And if you’re not sure about your knife skills, cooked prawn sushi is a great option.

Less filling is more

Try not to overfill your sushi rolls – this is a common mistake people make when preparing sushi at home. Use less rice, take your time, and roll.

Have fun

Lastly – have fun making sushi at home! I love to make sushi at home with my friends and family – to me that is the best part. Not only is it great to enjoy it afterwards together, but we also have lots of fun making it together.

Daniel Kwak’s Nigiri recipe

This recipe makes sushi Nigiri for four

What you’ll need:

• Sushi rice 300gm
• Water 350ml
• Rice vinegar 40ml
• Sugar 20g
• Salt 10g
• Fish of choice (always try to buy sashimi quality fish from the market. It’s fresh that day!)

Method:

1. Wash the rice with running water then cook the rice with a rice cooker.
2. Mix rice vinegar, sugar and salt together until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
3. Thinly slice fish into 12-14g pieces
4. Using your hands, roll approximately (10g) of sushi rice into a ball shape and cover with sliced fish (12-14g) on top.
5. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger and enjoy!

Once you’ve mastered Nigiri you may want to give sushi rolls a go, which you can do even without a sushi mat! Enjoy your sushi, friends.