What if, for Japan’s National Day, we prepared our own sushi? 20 minutes asked restaurant chef Ping Zhang At Osakaya, in Béziers (Hérault), second in the French Sushi Championship in 2019, and ranked in the top 20 worldwide at the World Sushi Cup the same year, to give us some valuable advice to surely impress your guests.
How to choose the fish?
So as not to be mistaken, Ping Zhang serves himself at a fishmonger. “First, I look at the color, confides the Biterrois chef. If it is very shiny, it means that the fish is very fresh. Another little clue to be sure of the quality of the fish: its eyes. “The eyes must be very clear, that there is not a kind of fog”, indicates the Biterrois champion. And if salmon remains the absolute king for sushi, Ping Zhang also advises trying sea bream, tuna, swordfish, turbo and even sea urchins. But while scrupulously respecting the seasons.
How to choose and cook the rice?
“For sushi, you need round rice”, and nothing else, notes the chef. Using another rice would seriously complicate the task in shaping them. But you still have to cook it successfully. Here, it is the experience that speaks. But there are still a few steps to follow. First, “you have to wash the rice well with water, until it becomes almost transparent,” says Ping Zhang. Then let it sit in the water for 30 minutes. For cooking, “it depends on the quantities, but it takes an average of 35 to 45 minutes,” he explains. All that remains is to mix the rice well with a vinegar sauce, before moving on to designing the sushi, maki or nigiri.
What material should be used?
At home, for beginners, any sushi kit will do, to make your own preparations. It usually contains everything you need to shape them, including a bamboo mat, the small mat you need to lay the seaweed on, and the ingredients to roll the makis before cutting them into slices. For sushi, simply cut the fish into thin strips and arrange them on the rice. The little trick is to get your fingers wet, to prevent the rice from sticking to the skin.
How to store sushi?
Keeping sushi is a bit contradictory. It is best to eat them right away. Ping Zhang advises keeping them “for a maximum of two hours at room temperature,” he says. And a little longer in the fridge.
How to be creative?
Salmon, surimi, cucumber… Traditional sushi, we know. Once you have mastered the preparation, why not venture into unknown lands? Ping Zhang delights his guests, for example, with an astonishing preparation with foie gras, half-cooked salmon, avocado, and even a little jam. “Yuzu lemon or ginger, it depends,” says the Hérault chef. Restaurant customers love it! »