Assorted pressed sushi with sashimi

serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 slices fresh tuna (maguro)
• fillet (2-1/2 oz. or 75 g)
• 3 slices fresh porgy fillet (1-3/3 oz. or 45 g)

A.

• 1 c. water
• 3 T. rice vinegar

• 4 c. sushi rice
• wasabi, as desired
• 1/3 oz. (10 g) fresh salmon roe
• 2 strips purple laver (nori; 1"×5" or 2.5×18 cm)
• 1/3 oz. (10 g) fresh sea urchin (uni)

B.

• 3 thin slices cuttlefish(1 oz. or 30 g)
• 3 cooked shrimp (Shrimp-Cucumber Rolls)
• 3 slices egg roll (Japanese Egg Roll)
• 3 ark shells (akagai)
• 3 cockles (torigai)
• 2 slices halfbeak (sayori)
• fillet (1 oz. or 30 g)

Directions

pickled sweet-sour ginger root and lemon slices, as desired How to prepare fish for pressed sushi with sashimi: Slice the Fish.
Dip your hands in A. Pick up about 2/3 oz. (20 g) sushi rice with your right hand, and gently squeeze into a rectangular block.

Pick up a slice of fish in your left hand and brush a little wasabi over the center (illus. 1). Place the sushi rice block on top of it (illus. 2).Press down gently on the sushi rice with your right index finger (illus. 3), then turn it over so the fish is on the top. With your right thumb and index finger, press both sides so that it is roughly rectangular (illus. 4), then gently press down on the fish slice with your right index finger and middle finger. At the same time, press the fish out toward one end with your left thumb, so that the fish arcs outward (illus. 5). Turn the sushi around and repeat on the other end. Repeat the whole procedure on the same two ends for a finished look. Repeat the same procedure for each of the items in 2.

To make pressed sushi with salmon roe: Pick up a half-handful of sushi rice and form it into a cylindrical shape."Frame" The rice by pressing a strip of purple laver around the outer edge; seal the two ends together onto the rice with some rice vinegar. Fill with salmon roe. Follow the same procedure for the sea urchin.

Arrange the assorted pressed sushi attractively in a serving dish and serve.

To eat: Using chopsticks, turn the sushi so that the filling side faces sideways(illus. 6), then dip in soy sauce (illus.7).Sushi can also be eaten with the wasabi

Basic rolled sushi (Norimaki)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 dried chinese black mushrooms(shiitake)

A.

• 1 c. soak water from dried mushrooms
• 2 T. sugar
• 1-1/2 T. soy sauce

• 2/3 oz.(20 g) dride gourd shavings (kampyo)
• dash of salt

B.

• 1 c. dashi
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 3 T. sugar

• 4 eggs

C.

• 1/2 t. each: salt, sugar
• 1/3 t. soy sauce

• 2 gherkin cucumbers (or some spinach)
• 1 bamboo sushi mat (sudare)
• 5 sheets purple laver(nori; toasted)

D.

• 1 c. water
• 2 T. rice vinegar
• 4-1/2 c. sushi rice

Directions

Soak the dried mushrooms until soft. Add A. and cook until the sauce is almost completely reduced. Allow to cool, then cut the mushrooms into strips.

Soak the dried gourd shavings in water for about 10 minutes. Remove and rub with salt (illus. 1). Cook in B. until the sauce is almost completely reduced. Cool and cut into pieces about the same length as the purple laver. Set aside.

Beat the eggs lightly and mix in 3. Fry into 1-1/4" (3 cm) thick slices (Japanese Egg Roll). Cut into strips. Quarter the gherkin cucumber lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Set aside.

Wash the bamboo mat and air-dry. Place a sheet of purple laver on the mat. Wet both hands wiht 4. Pick up 1 cup of sushi rice and place in the center of the purple laver, then spread it evenly over the seaweed. Leave 3/8" (1 cm) of the seaweed free at the front, and 3/4" (2 cm) at the back. Arrange the above ingredients neatly across the center of the rice (illus. 2). Pick up the front of the seaweed (illus. 3) to roll the sushi into a cylindrical shape. Roll and press together tightly with the bamboo mat. Cut the sushi in half, then into a total of eight small pieces (wipe the knife with a wet cloth to prevent sticking). Serve.

When making small amounts of sushi at home, the dried gourd shavings and dried mushrooms can be cooked together in A. and B. until the sauce is reduced. This method saves time and bother.

Egg fried into a thin "pancake" may be substituted for the purple laver. Place some lettuce on top of the rice. Shrimp, asparagus, broiled eel, and so forth can be included in the filling to make all sorts of sushi variations.

Deep-fried Tofu

Ingredients

• 2 large cakes soft tofu
• 1/2 c. low-gluten flour
• 1/2 c. Chinese white radish (daikon) puree
• 1 T. ginger root puree
• 2 T. chopped green onion

A.

• 1/4 c. mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1 c. dashi

Directions

Trim off the hard edges from the tofu(illus. 1) and cut each cake into 4 pieces(illus.2). Dredge each piece in flour (illus.3) Heat a frying pan or wok and add 3 cups oil. Heat until somewahat under smoking. Fry the tofu over high heat about 1 minute, until it is golden brown on the outside but still tender inside. Remove from oil.

Place the white radish puree, ginger root puree, and chopped green onion on top of the fried tofu. Bring A. to a boil, pour over the top, and serve.

Mackerel barbarian style

serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 mackerel (total 1 lb. or 450 g)
• 2 T. low-gluten flour
• 4 c. oil for frying
• 1/2 onion, cut in half-rings

A.

• 1/2 c. rice vine gar
• 1 T. each: sugar, soy sauce
• 2 T. dashi

• 1 green pepper, cut in julienne strips
• 1/2 small red chili pepper, cut in julienne strips
• 1/2 lemon

Directions

Wash the mackerel (illus. 1) and dry with paper towels (illus.2). Dredge in flour (illus. 3) and set aside.

Heat the 4 cups oil in a frying pan or wok. Deep-fry the fish in the oil over high heat for one minute. Turn the heat to medium and continue to fry until crisp (about 8 minutes). Remove from the oil and place on a serving plate.

Stir-fry the onion until soft. Add A. and bring to a boil. Add the green pepper and red chilli pepper, Mixing well. Pour over the fish. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top before eating.

Other fresh fish of a similar size may be cooked in this way.

Fried pork cutlet

serves 4

Ingregients

• 1 lb. (450 g) pork cutlet

A.

• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper

• 1/4 c. low-gluten flour
• 1 egg(lightly beaten)
• 1 c. fine bread crumbs
• 2 c. shredded cabbage
• 1 tomato
• 1 gherkin cucumber(cut into thin diagonal slices)

Directions

Cut off the sinews from the edges of the pork cutlet(illus.1). Cut into 4 equal pieces (illus. 2). sprinkle on A. Gently dip first in the flour, then in the egg mixture, then in the fine bread crumbs.

Heat 2 cups oil to medium hot in a frying pan or wok. Fry the cutlets about 5 minutes (be sure to remove particles from the oil when frying to keep it clean). The surface of the cutlet should be crisp and golden brown,and the meat should be cooked through. Remove from the oil, cut into pieces, and arrange in a serving dish. Garnish with the shredded cabbage, tomato, and gherkin cucumber slices. Dip in ketchup or pepper-salt before eating; or a little lemon juice may be squeezed over the top. Spray the fine bread crumbs lightly with water before use (illus. 3) to prevent the fried batter coating from becoming too hard.

Vegetable Tempura

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 link lotus root (renkon)
• 8 slices pumpkin (or sweet potato)
• 8 string beans
• 4 dried Chinese black mushrooms(shiitake; soaked until soft)
• 8 cobs baby corn (or 8 slices okra)
• 8stalks asparagus
• 1 eggplant (preferably long thin Oriental)
• 1-1/3 oz. (40 g) shredded burdock root (gobo)

A.

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 c. ice water
• 1 c. low-gluten flour

• flour,as needed

B.

• 1/4 c. each: mirin, soy sauce
• 1 c. dashi
• 1/6 oz. (5 g) bonito shavings (katsuobushi)

C.

• 1 c. Chinese white radish (daikon puree
• 1 T. ginger root puree

Directions

Cut the lotus root into 1/4" (.5 cm) slices,then carve the edges to form a decorative pattern (illus. 1). Cut the remaining vegetable ingredients into decorative patterns as well (illus. 2,3 ). Mix 1 to make the batter (Seafood Tempura).

Heat 2 cups unused oil to somewhat under smoking. Dip the vegetables first in the dry flour, then in the egg batter, and deep-fry one at a time until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oil and arrange in a serving dish. Serve hot. Dip in B and C before eating (the same as with seafood tempura).

The temperature of the oil is extremely important when frying tempura. After heating the oil, drip a little batter in it to test the temperature; if the batter floats up quickly to the surface, the oil is about right for frying seafood tempura. If the batter drops do not rise as quickly to the surface, the oil is probably about the right temperature for frying vegetable tempura.

The temperature of the oil must be kept constant. After deep- frying the tempura, return to the oil to fry another 30 seconds for a crispier batter coating

Tokyo style stew (oden)

serves 4

• 2 fried fish sausages (chikuwa; illus.1)

• 1 cake konnyaku
• 2/3 lb. (300 g) Chinese white radish (daikon)
• 12 each: fish balls, quail eggs
• 8 rolls kelp (kombu)
• 4 cakes deep-fried tofu
• 8 slices burdock root (gobo) tempura (illus.2)

A.

• 5 c dashi
• 1/2 c. mirin
• 1-1/2 T. soy sauce

B.

• 2 T. each: white miso, sugar
• 4 T. each: ketchup, cold water
• 1 t. chili paste mustard, as desired

Directions

Cut the fried fish sausages into chunks or diagonal slices. Cut the konnyaku into small pieces. Roll-cut the white radish into chunks. Skewer the fish balls and quail eggs, four per bamboo skewer (illus. 3). Blanch the kelp rolls in boiling water for about 2 minutes to remove the seawater odor. Cook the white radish in a fresh pot of boiling water until done, about 5 minutes. Remove.

Bring 1 to a boil in a clay pot. Add the other ingredients to the boiling liquid,then lower the heat and simmer about 40 minutes, until the flavors are well absorbed. Dip in 2 or mustard before eating.

The success of this dish depends on the quality and freshness of the ingredients used. choose the very best ingredients when shopping for this dish. Stuffed tofu pockets, octopus, and so forth, may be substituted for some of the ingredients in this dish.