Rika's TOKYO CUISINE: Spoon-molded Sushi

Dining with the Chef.

Hello, I'm Rika Yukimasa.

Welcome to Dining with the Chef.

One of the most famous of all Japanese foods outside of Japan is sushi.

It's a favorite among Japanese people, too.

And today, I'd like to show you how to make delicious sushi at home.

There are many different types of sushi, but you're probably most familiar with "nigiri":

bite-size portions of sushi rice topped with slices of fresh seafood.

Depending on the quality of the toppings, it can be quite expensive, and considered a special treat.

But today, I'm going to show you a more affordable and easy way to make delicious sushi at home.

Tokyo, an Asian city with the largest metropolitan population in the world,

the boundaries between old Japan and futuristic Japan are blurred in this metropolis.

The food here is a fusion of cuisine, not just from around Asia, but around the globe.

In this program, Tokyo-based culinary artist Rika Yukimasa demonstrates the current trends from her own kitchen near Tokyo Bay.

Our co-host is Patrick Harlan, widely known in Japan as Pakkun.

Rika's Tokyo Cuisine.

Today, Rika uses spoons to make bite-sized sushi, that tastes like it came from a high-end restaurant.

Rika's Spoon-molded Sushi features fresh seafood and fluffy sushi rice.

And on the side, a refreshing salad, of blanched spinach and mushrooms in a non-oil dressing.

Both dishes make use of rice vinegar, to serve up a healthy and delicious meal.

I love sushi.

My kids love sushi.

Everyone I know loves sushi.

And I would love to be able to make really good sushi.

But there are three problems.

The rice.

It got hard to cook it.

It got hard to squeeze it.

You know, they say it takes like ten years for a professional rice chef to get his gripping technique down.

Two.

- Can't find the perfect fish.
- Right.

Three.

- I can't prepare the fish very well.
- Right.

Rice, finding, cutting.

They're all kind of tough.

- Okay, let's overcome these three hurdles today.
- You're going to teach me how to fix them all?

- Yes.
- Perfect.

The key to making delicious sushi at home is to use ...spoons!

Rika will show you how to make the next best thing, to dining at atop restaurant, even when you can't get hold of super-fresh seafood.

Let's start off with a lesson on how to make the all-important sushi rice.

- And so now we're going to start off from cooking the proper rice for sushi, "nigiri" sushi.
- Okay.

First, gently rinse the rice to remove the surface starch without breaking the grains.

Drain and set aside for at least half an hour to allow the water to seep in.

Sushi rice needs to be on just the line between tender and firm, without being soggy or sticky.

So, it's important to use the appropriate amount of water, and control the heat.

While cooking the rice.

Let's prep the fish.

Okay.

What are we eating today?

Oh, we're eating tuna, sea bream, salmon and scallops.

Oh.

Rika has selected four popular sushi toppings, including lean tuna, and scallops.

Frozen is fine, but fresh is best if it's available.

- It is often when you have frozen fish seems a little watery.
- Right.

Exactly.

How can we make sure that it tastes even better?

Okay, I'll tell you.

- I, you know, as I told you, salt plays an important role in culinary Japanese culinary cooking.
- Right.

- And we are going to cure all these sashimi.
- Nice.

- I recommend using sea salt.
- Okay.

It's sweeter than rock salt.

Sea salt is rich in minerals and has a mild "umami" flavor which goes very well with seafood.

You place just a little salt.

So that the salt will help you eliminate the water.

Okay.

Yes, sprinkling salt over the fish and setting it aside for a while, allows the excess moisture to seep out.

And this helps to firm up the texture.

I would say for this much of tuna.

Just one scrape sprinkle.

With two fingers.

Just a pinch of salt.

Interesting, okay.

That's two.

And then fold it like precious presents.

- So it's important to do this with a paper towel.
- Yes.

You can tell that it will soak up the extra moisture.

Okay.

And then plastic wrap.

Why do you wrap it up?

You want to kind of get rid of excess water and this is to tighten up the filler.

- Oh, really?
- Yes.

- So you put the the paper towel there to absorb the moisture, but then you actually sort of constricting.
- Right, right.

With a plastic wrap.

Interesting.

And this is going to be the magic.

- Oh, that's the magic.
- Yes.

So I'll keep on doing that with the rest of sea breams.

Are we going to notice the taste when we taste it or?

Yes, slightly.

- But, you know, the excess moisture in the salty flavor comes out and then it will be soaked in the paper towel.
- Right, right.

- Because the moisture from the inside is going to wash the salt off.
- Right.

That's smart.

So we're not going to wash it later?

- Nope.
- Okay.

Sprinkle coarse salt on both sides of the remaining seafood and set aside in the fridge for a couple of hours.

This will firm up the texture, which is key for good sashimi and sushi.

- So this is how the fish looks like.
- Okay.

- So you see the moisture came up.
- Wow. Yeah, it's all soaked into the towel.

And I can see that the fish is strong.

- Just a little bit, maybe.
- Yes.

And it looks glistening, right?

Huh, interesting.

Yeah.

- I'm going to cut.
- Okay.

And here is also another trick.

In order to slice delicate seafood for sashimi or sushi, you need to use a razor-sharp knife.

Rika has found an ideal knife that you probably have at home.

Usually we use this "sashimi bouchou."

A sashimi knife.

Sashimi knife is single bladed.

In order to slice tender fish without ruining the texture, you need to use a knife with a single, not double-beveled edge.

Sashimi knives are razor sharp and are designed to slice sashimi in one long stroke.

If you have your own "sashimi bouchou," you are great.

- But if not, what should we do?
- If not, I think this bread knife works really well.

We're going to use a bread knife to cut sushi?

Bread knife is also single bladed.

- Hey, you're right.
- Yes.

And it's very sharp.

- Yes, it is.
- And I've tried because I went to my friend's house, and they don't have this "sashimi bouchou," knife.

But you still wanted to have good sushi.

Then I said "Can I use this?."

- And it was very...
- They worked?

It's kind of long enough.

Sure.

So when you cut the sashimi, it's very important that you practice want this motion.

- So I'll show you now.
- Yes, please do.

And then you use the edge here and then kind of like draw your knife towards you.

I'll show you again using here.

- And you aim the finish point to be on the top.
- Okay.

- And what you do is, instead of going like this, then the surface of the sashimi has will have bumps, right?
- Right.

Because you're you're sawing back and forth.

It tears the fiber, okay.

- So instead of doing that, you want a smoothly use your wrist.
- Interesting.

- And I'll go slow motion in a way.
- Sure.

Go like this.

Nice.

- Yes.
- Beautiful.

Is there a reason why we cut sashimi at an angle instead of straight up and down?

Because if you cut it straight, the thickness will be very, will be thin.

Very too thin, right?

- You want to have bigger surface.
- Surface area, okay.

And so I started here and I just pull like, well, this is a sharp knife.

- Impressive.
- It's just bread knife, but.

- And then you go like this instead of going like this a little bit.
- Point up?

Yes, point up.

That's the image.

Point up.

And then.

Okay, so I didn't make it all the way through.

- Shall I start again here and pull or shall I push?
- Yes.

- Pull.
- Okay, start again and pull.

- Interesting.
- Yes.

This is fun.

Sushi is the ultimate minimalist food, which means every little detail counts.

It's all in the preparation.

Keeping the number of steps to a minimum helps to emphasize the synergy of fresh seafood and sushi rice.

- How are we going to prepare them now?
- Okay.

We're going to marinate these two kinds of fish.

- Marinade.
- Marinade.

It's called "zuke."

"Zuke," which basically means to marinate, okay.

"Zu-ke" makes for great sushi, and it's ideal for those of you who feel daunted by the idea of eating raw seafood.

Marinating draws out the "umami" flavor, and you can pop the sushi into your mouth, without having to dip it in soy sauce.

I will use sake.

- And just one tablespoon each of sake.
- Okay.

And one tablespoon, soy sauce.

Why do we have two different bats there?

- I want to do that "zuke" for salmon and tuna.
- Oh, okay.

- And you don't wanna use the same bat because the salmon will start to taste like tuna, and vice versa.
- Exactly.

Keep your flavored separate, okay.

- And since we didn't use mirin, I will add a little bit of sugar.
- Okay.

But you know, they just getting rid of one step.

It makes it easier to make.

You know, we kind of like "zuke" marinate.

With Rika's recipe, marinating the fish for too long, will make it too salty.

You only need to lightly coat both sides of the fish in the marinade.

Rika's marinade, is perfect for oily fish, like tuna or salmon, but it also goes very well with other fish, too.

Today, she's going to serve up sea bream and scallops, without the marinate.

Make sure to prepare the sushi vinegar before the rice is cooked.

It's important to use just the right amount of rice vinegar for sushi rice.

Rika will share her golden ratio, she found after trying various combinations.

Usually for two cups of rice, which is about 360 millilitres of rice.

I use two teaspoons of salt, which is a little bit.

Seems like a lot.

But you don't eat a bunch of sushi rice.

- You just eat a small portion.
- That's true.

- Yes.
- Okay.

But instead of scents, you have "zuke,"　which is already marinated in soy sauce.

- So you want to reduce the amount of salt.
- Okay.

- So I'm going to use one teaspoon.
- About half, right.

Yes, two tablespoons of sugar.

Quite a lot of sugar.

One, two, three, three is rice vinegar.

Now, they sell sushi vinegar.

Why don't you just use sushi vinegar?

I think sushi vinegar.

- It has a little bit sweeter than what I expect the sushi rice to be.
- Really?

- Yes.
- Okay.

So I prefer mixing this by myself.

Mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar.

Now we're going to finish cooking the rice.

Oh, look at that rice.

Transfer the piping hot rice into a wooden sushi tub, and fold in the sushi vinegar using a spatula.

If you don't have a sushi tub, you can use a bowl, preferably wooden, to absorb excess water so that the rice doesn't end up soggy.

Add the sushi vinegar while the rice is still hot and toss it together so that it doesn't get sticky.

When you mix it.

- You want to go cut.
- Yeah, they say slice it.

- This is like hold motion.
- Oh, okay.

Why is that?

You don't want to squeeze the grain.

- You don't want the squish, You don't want to crush?
- Yes.

Okay.

Coat the rice evenly with sushi vinegar without crushing the grains, so that it's fluffy enough to melt in your mouth.

This is the key to good sushi rice.

Now, instead of molding the rice by hand, Rika is going to use spoons to create bite-size sushi, that rivals the taste of high-end restaurants.

- So now all we have to do is the squeezing part.
- Yes.

- But that's the hardest part.
- Exactly.

Now, what I do is scoop this sushi rice like this.

Are you going to leave it on the spoon?

And you place this wasabi.

- Give it a little kick.
- Mhm.

- And maybe this sea bream.
- Oh.

And scallops and little this is "shiso" leaves and maybe this "zuke" tuna.

- So you're not going to squeeze the sushi at all?
- No, no.

Interesting.

- So we're going to eat it with a spoon.
- Yes.

Not chopsticks.

- Unusual.
- Yes.

Creative.

I like it.

What a great idea.

- Perfect.
- This is really as tasty as regular "nigiri."

When you go to the really good sushi restaurant.

- The rice is really fluffy.
- True.

So you want to make as fluffy nigiri as possible.

To do that, the best way is this.

Experienced sushi chefs, apply gentle pressure to pack just the right amount of air between the grains,

so that the rice comes apart in your mouth, but not in your hands.

The synergy of sushi rice and "sashimi" is fantastic.

After Rika's technique, using spoons, is a fool-proof way of recreating that flavor at home.

Can I try it?

You made it.

- "Zuke," so it's already been marinated in soy sauce.
- Okay.

How is it?

Very good.

- It looks really good.
- It's really good.

Now for a "suno-mono," or salad of spinach and "shi-meji" mushrooms, with a non-oil dressing.

Rika will show you a quick and easy recipe, using sushi vinegar, which already contains salt and sugar.

So I thought it would be nice to have a healthy salad to go with sushi.

Healthy sushi.

Healthy salad.

- Healthy people.
- Right.

I'm going to introduce you how to make "sunomono."

- "Sunomono" which is also a vinegar dish.
- Yes, yes.

"Sunomono" is a kind of salad.

- You don't use any oil.
- Right.

It's very popular in Japan.

It's light and sweet.

It's great.

On a hot day, for example, my kids and I love it almost as much as we like sushi.

- Okay, then, it's very easy to prepare if you know how to make the dressing.
- Okay.

What do you do?

Yeah, I'm going to just blanched these spinach, so I'll just cut here.

And then once it's boiled, turn the heat to medium and start boiling with a pinch of salt.

- You boil the stems first.
- Yes.

They take longer.

And then once it turned green.

- Add Second part.
- Interesting.

- So you gradually move your way up the leaf.
- Right.

The leaf part cooks faster.

You don't leave it in this long.

- Lastly, you add the really soft part.
- Okay.

Now it looks beautiful.

I love how spinach turns greener.

So beautiful.

And once you feel that these stems is soft enough.

- Turn off the heat.
- All right.

Just want to place these into cold water.

This is what we call it "irodome."

Stop coloring.

Right.

- It keeps that beautiful green.
- Beautiful green.

Shocking the spinach in an ice bath, stops the cooking process and retains the color and texture.

Cut off the base of the "shi-meji" mushrooms, separate, and add to the pot and cook for a couple of minutes in residual heat.

Drain the blanched spinach and squeeze out the excess water to allow the vinegar to be absorbed.

Soak the "shimeji" in cold water for about 30 seconds to retain the texture, and you're done with the prep.

And now I'm going to put this crab meat.

- This is crab meat out of a can, right?
- Yes.

- Okay.
- Well, if you want to go crazy, you can just buy the fresh crab meat at the supermarket, which may be a little bit overbudget, but.

- But if it's a special occasion.
- Yes.

- Get rid of this excess water.
- Nice.

This is a lot of crab meat.

This is as much crab meat is vegetable, probably.

And before you put dressings.

- Ginger?
- Ginger.

Thin slices.

Yes.

- And cut into thin slices.
- Right.

- Which is great for salads.
- Yeah.

Thin strips are pretty in your eyes.

Okay.

So the preparation is done.

- And from here, it's extremely easy.
- Great.

- Dressing is the same portion of vinegar and sushi vinegar?
- Okay.

This one is sushi vinegar.

- And this one is just regular vinegar.
- Nice.

- And this has no oil, so it's super healthy.
- Exactly.

- And you want to add only splash of soy sauce.
- Okay.

- So you want to keep it kind of whitish color.
- Right.

Soy sauce will brownish it up.

You gently mix it, and if you want to eat right away.

And some people don't like that too much vinegar.

- You can add ice water.
- Really?

Same amount.

- And that also sort of cool down very quickly.
- Right.

Okay.

So this is a "sunomono."

So it's easy to make.

- Yes.
- And beautiful.

And this is the kind of dish you can also prepare ahead.

- So when you have guest, you can just put it in the fridge?
- Sure.

So when you plate it, you want to make a kind of mountain here.

- You don't want to fill up that entire bowl.
- No.

- You have beautiful design here.
- Right.

Japanese place important in displaying seasonal changes on the plate.

- So you have to show these flowers and greens.
- Right.

- For many Japanese people, you eat your dish with your eyes first.
- Right.

- We say it like that, don't we?
- Yeah.

Okay, "Fuji-yama" is ready.

Beautiful.

And now let's try the spoon-molded sushi.

As delicious as made by veteran chefs.

- I guess I'll start with sushi.
- Yes.

I prefer a fairly small portion of rice.

- I guess I will put with the salmon that I cut.
- Yes.

- And this is "zuke," so I don't need any soy sauce.
- No.

Okay.

Excellent.

So what's the advantage of having sushi on a spoon instead of wrapped up?

As I said, it's important to squeeze the rice in rather a fluffy way.

You don't want to really squeeze it then the all the grain kind of forms altogether.

But you want to have the rice melt in your mouth.

You can try it.

You will know what I'm talking about.

Mhm.

Oh, wow.

- The rice is super fluffy.
- Yes, yes.

It's sort of like I was like a cloud in my mouth is so light.

What is firm is the salmon, the meat, the flesh is really tight.

- That must be the salt it worked.
- Salt, yes.

And there's a key flavor.

It's rich, it's thick.

It's got lots of "umami."

Wonderful.

The sea bream has only been lightly salted.

So, it needs just a bit of soy sauce.

Mhm.

That's what I love about sushi.

The flavor of each fish is so distinct, so delicate.

A little bit of salt on there.

It brings out the flavor much more.

It's much easier to understand.

Look how beautiful that mountain with green and pink and yellow.

Oh, so good.

I love sushi vinegar.

- It's got just a little bit of "dashi" flavor in there.
- Yes.

Brings out "umami," brings out "umami" in the "shimeji" as well and the crab meat.

But you have the sharp zing, the little zest that comes from the "shouga," the ginger on top.

Now, eating healthy food.

- And if it's really tasty, it makes you feel satisfied.
- Exactly.

Trying out different ideas makes a world of difference to your cooking.

It allows you to enjoy foods that you thought were hard to make at home.

So look around and see if you can think of ways to make something different with the ingredients and tools you have on hand.

I'm sure you'll have fun experimenting in the kitchen.

Thanks for joining us on "Dining with the Chef."

See you again soon.

Bye bye.

Bye bye.

Okay, let's review today's recipes.

First, the spoon-molded sushi.

Sprinkle the fish with salt to firm up and draw out the excess moisture.

Use a knife with a sharp, single-beveled edge and slice the fish in one single stroke, drawing the knife towards you, so as not to ruin the texture.

Coat oily fish in sugar and soy sauce as in "zu-ke," a marinade.

Mix the sushi vinegar, toss with piping hot rice, and scoop up with a spoon.

Top with fresh seafood and dig into your spoon-molded sushi.

Next, the "suno-mono," the spinach and "shimeji" salad.

Blanch the spinach and combine with crab meat and shredded ginger.

Season with vinegar and soy sauce, and it's done.

Try Rika's spoon-molded sushi at your house.

It will turn it into a high end, Japanese sushi restaurant.