Japan, so different in culture (including gastronomic) and customs, has always exercised a certain fascination in us Westerners. sushi started to take hold and be appreciated in Italy too : a typical dish, based on rice, combined with other ingredients such as seaweed, fish and vegetables.
In just a few years, the passion for this dish has spread like wildfire and more and more people have decided not only to savor these delicacies at the restaurant but also to try their hand at preparing them, discovering that assembling the few (but fundamental) ingredients that make up sushi hides many pitfalls. What are these errors? And how to avoid them?
1) Rice
Let's start with the most common mistake that is generally made: not all types of rice are suitable for preparing sushi .
To obtain rice "meatballs", the rice must be sticky and can only be obtained if a lot of starch is released during cooking. Superfine, fine and semi-fine must therefore be avoided. So which one is left? Surprisingly, the best rice is the common one, with small, rounded grains, for example the Originario variety .
2) The rice was not washed
The second mistake remains linked to the preparation of the rice : unlike risottos, which are so dear and well known to us, the rice should not be poured directly into the pan but needs a preliminary step.
It must be washed in a bowl with cold water until the latter no longer has a white color. It will then be drained, dried and left to rest for about half an hour.
3) Rice vinegar and not wine
When preparing sushi, an emulsion of salt, sugar and vinegar must be incorporated into the rice. Just as not all types of rice are suitable, the choice of vinegar is no exception.
In fact, each vinegar has a different level of acidity: in particular, rice vinegar has a more delicate and less covering taste than wine vinegar, unless you use apple cider vinegar which has optimal acidity!
4) Nori seaweed
The sides of the nori seaweed , at first glance, may seem similar and it is easy to fall into the mistake of spreading the rice on the wrong side. Paying a little more attention, you will notice that one side is rough and the other smooth and it is the latter that needs to be placed on the mat to wrap the sushi . rice to take root better .
5) Choice of fish
Unlike the previous ones, in which if committed to the maximum you get a dish with a bad taste, this error can lead to dangerous consequences for your health. Raw fish is used in sushi , which does not mean caught, filleted, portioned and eaten, but caught, filleted, portioned and subjected to the blast chilling procedure at -24° C for at least 24 hours, so as to avoid the possible presence of the Anisakis parasite. Simplex. By law, all retailers and manufacturers are required to respect these precise instructions.
Here are revealed the 5 mistakes not to make when preparing homemade sushi ; if you have already tried and obtained a result below expectations, by following these tips you will see that your next sushi will be worthy of a restaurant!
