From the Sidewalks of Japan to the comfort of Your Home {Sushi Recipe}

Words by Justin Butts Recipe by Kayla Butts Photos by Rachel Benavides 

By all accounts, the best sushi in the world is served on the sidewalks of Japan. As patrons weave their way through the bustling crowds of the big cities, thousands of street vendors with carts line up, one after another, selling sushi. 

These street vendors are actually artisan chefs at the top of their game. Sightings of an old man with white hair and deep lines in his face are common. Standing behind his ancient cart, his fast, expert hands deftly roll sushi as passersby watch. (If you’ve experienced this first hand, then you know it is the best you’ve ever tasted.)

Along with the old, the line-up usually includes a tiny two-wheeled cart with a serious young female chef rapidly serving nigiri to a line of people who take their order and briskly walk away while indulging in the treat. The nigiri of this unknown chef is world-class, better than anything served at a five-star restaurant in the States.

Why is the sushi on the sidewalks of Japan so unbelievably delicious? First, the competition is fierce and relentless. Thousands of chefs on the streets compete for the passing crowds of highly sophisticated diners. If a vendor offers a less-than-spectacular dish, the locals will simply bypass that cart and line up at the next. Each piece of sushi must be its own work of art. A mediocre chef will not last a week on the streets of Japan.

Second, the ingredients are of the highest quality. The seafood arrives freshly-caught on boats just minutes away from the sidewalk vendors. Visitors can actually view the boats unloading within eye-shot of the cart where their sushi is rolled. The fish is so fresh that chefs must often let it sit for a while to develop its flavor. 

Most may never make it to the streets of Japan, but serving great sushi at home is not nearly as difficult as one might think. Here is the good news. Great sushi is 1% technique and 99% ingredients. Shopping wisely ensures sushi night will be unforgettable. Never skimp on the ingredients! It’s easy to spot when chefs cut corners on the quality of the ingredients; there is no hiding it.

The first ingredient is rice. In a typical Japanese supermarket, there are more than 200 varieties of rice on the shelves. Even a tiny gas station will sell twenty or thirty types of rice. Austin has several Asian markets that feature authentic sushi rice and other must-have ingredients.

Sushi-grade seafood can be found at a good local fishmonger. Gulf shrimp and flounder are excellent options. Ask for sushi-grade tuna, salmon, roe, squid, and shellfish. Sushi-grade seafood is frozen at a very low temperature to help ensure the fish are safe to consume raw.

Sushi is an art form best practiced at home. The only competition is the last roll you made, and each one just gets better. This is an art everyone will love learning to master.

Sushi Rice

Makes: 4 rolls
Prep time: 3 min.
Cook time: 20 min.

Ingredients:
2 c. uncooked short- or medium-grain rice
2 c. water, plus more to rinse rice
½ c. rice vinegar
¼ c. granulated sugar
1 t. salt

Directions:  In a colander, rinse rice with cool running water while stirring and agitating with your fingers until water runs clear. Place rice in a 4 quart pot and cover with 2 cups water. Bring water to boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. 

While water boils, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir until sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. 

Cook the rice in boiling water for 2 minutes. Cover rice and move the pot to the smallest burner on your stove top. Continue to heat rice on the lowest heat setting, stirring once to prevent the bottom layer of rice from burning. Remove from heat once rice has absorbed all the water. 

Let the rice cool to about body temperature. Add vinegar mixture to cooked rice and stir until liquid is absorbed, taking care not to mash rice. Cover with a damp towel to keep rice from drying out while preparing sushi.  

Shrimp Uramaki

Serves: 4
Makes: 1 roll
Prep time: 15 min.
Cook time: 2 min.

Ingredients:
¼ lb. raw gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
Heavy pinch salt
½ t. Chinese five spice
1 sheet of nori (dried seaweed)
1/3 c. prepared sushi rice
¼ avocado, thinly sliced
¼ cucumber, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise
¼ red bell pepper, seeded with pith removed, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/8 mango, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 scallion with end removed
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 T. toasted sesame seeds or roe to garnish

Directions:  Place two cups of water, salt, and Chinese five spice in a small pot over high heat. Add shrimp to the pot once it begins to boil and cook for about a minute, until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and reserve to the side. 

Cover your sushi mat with a sheet of cling wrap. Place a sheet of nori on your mat, with the longest side facing you. Spoon rice onto the nori. Wet your hands with water and using your fingers spread rice to cover the surface of the nori leaving only the top ½” uncovered. 

About two inches from the bottom of the roll, place avocado end to end in a horizontal line across the length of the nori. Repeat with remaining ingredients, including reserved shrimp. Pick up the end of the bamboo mat closest to you, and while securing the inner components with your fingers, roll the mat away from you with a fair amount of pressure. Continue to roll the mat away from you, adjusting the mat as necessary. Leaving cling wrap intact around the formed roll makes the roll easy to cut. Using a wet, sharp knife, cut the roll into 1/2” sections. Remove the cling wrap and garnish with sesame seeds or roe if desired. Serve roll with pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, and spicy mayo (see recipe below).

Spicy Mayo

Serves: 8
Prep time: 2 min.

Ingredients:
¼ c. high-quality mayonnaise (Duke’s recommended)
1 T., plus 1 t. sriracha sauce

Directions:  In a small bowl, mix mayo and sriracha well. Add more sriracha if desired. 

Types of Sushi 
Maki: Strips of fish, vegetables and herbs encased in rice and wrapped in nori and cut into slices. 
Futomaki: What one thinks of as a sushi roll – fish, vinegared rice, and other ingredients rolled in nori
Temaki: Literally “hand roll” – rice and sushi arranged in a tapered, cone-shaped nori
Uramaki: Commonly known as an “inside-out roll” – a maki roll with the fish and vegetables on the interior of the roll, followed by nori, and lastly a layer of rice 
Sashimi: Raw slices of fish served on their own or with a sauce or vegetable.
Nigiri: A slice of raw fish on top of a mound of rice, often with a small dab of
wasabi 

The Rice is history
Before refrigeration, people stored fish by wrapping it in vinegared rice. Over time, they began to realize the combination of the rice, vinegar, and fish made an excellent meal of its own.