Author Notes
All that matters is you find the freshest best ingredients you can get your hands on. I make the rice vinegar seasoning for the rice instead of buy the seasoned rice vinegar which I find to sweet. Buy good sushi rice and cook it like the box says and you will end up with great rice. Finally don't pull your fish from the fridge and serve it cold. It will be flavorless. One of the reasons sushi works is the chefs use their hands and this warms the sushi while they are making it. So pull the salmon, cooked shrimp and oysters a half hour before serving it. —thirschfeld
Ingredients
- For the rice
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1 1/2 cups
sushi rice
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2 cups
water
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3 tablespoons
brown rice vinegar
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2 tablespoons
mirin or 2 teaspoons sugar
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2 teaspoons
kosher salt
- For the beet "wasabi" and sashimi
-
1/3 cup
roasted beets, micro-planed
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1 1/2 tablespoons
fresh horseradish, micro-planed
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1 1/2 teaspoons
canola oil
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1 teaspoon
red wine vinegar
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1/2 teaspoon
shallot, finely minced
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1 teaspoon
chives, minced
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12
slices lox style salmon
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12
26-30 white shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked in salted water and cooled
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4 to 8
fresh oysters, quantity depends on their size
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3
carrots, grated on the small holes of a grater
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12
cucumber slices
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1
lemon, quartered
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fresh hot red pepper, slice into thin rings
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lemon zest
Directions
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Combine the micro-planed roasted beets, horseradish canola oil, wine vinegar, shallot and chives in a small bowl and mix everything to combine. Season it with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated just remember to let it come to room temp along with the seafood.
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Roll the salmon into rosettes by holding the straight side and rolling the bottom tight letting the tops be loose. Shuck the oysters if you need to and (I always cook the shrimp in the shell, it keeps it from drying out) peel and devein the shrimp.
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Either cook the rice as recommended by the manufactures or place the rice into a heavy bottomed pot with a lid and add the water. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to a simmer if you are using gas, if you use electric move the pot to a different burner set to simmer, cover and simmer the rice for 15 minutes. At the end of fifteen minutes remove the rice from the heat and let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not remove the lid.
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While the rice is cooking place the rice vinegar, mirin or sugar and salt into a small sauce pan and gently heat it until the solids have dissolved. Set the pot off to the side.
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Once the rice is done resting immediately turn it out into another bowl and flake and fluff the grains with a wooden spoon. Add a third of the seasoned vinegar and stir it in. Once it is stirred in add another third and stir, then add the rest and stir. Place a damp towel over the rice bowl and let the rice cool to body temperature.
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Divide the rice between four bowls and attractively arrange the seafood and vegetables on top of the rice. If you are using oysters pour a little of the liquor over each oyster and let it run down into the rice. Serve with a small bowl of beet "wasabi" and a lemon wedge. Garnish with hot peppers, chives, lemon zest, and tamari diluted with a little water, served on the side so everyone can season their dish as they want.
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