How to make your own sushi

I have an ambivalent attitude to sushi. It has become, on the one hand, one of the favoured foods of the joyless ‘clean eating’ and perpetually-dieting brigade. On the other, sushi is as delicious as it is healthy; filling but not heavy; dainty but not pretentious. No need to feel abashed then about being a sushi fan: just get your tips from an itamae (sushi chef) rather than Gwyneth Paltrow.

Making sushi at home makes a lot of sense. A sushi dinner for the family is suddenly a more affordable proposition, and it is surprisingly easy. It is also one of those foods that is essentially the same effort whether you’re serving one person or a dozen: perfect party food then, if you’re getting together with friends to watch the latest Olympics action from Tokyo.

Cooking the Rice

1. Place your sushi rice (e.g. koshihikari) in a sieve. Rinse under cold running water, to remove any excess starch, until the water runs clear. Place two parts rice to three parts cold water in a large saucepan and leave to soak for half an hour or so. To serve four you’ll need about 500g of rice, or about two mugs full (to three mugs of water).
2. Next, bring the rice to the boil over a high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the water has all been absorbed. Set aside to cool slightly.

Seasoning the Rice

1. Stir through rice vinegar (about 125 ml), sugar (two tablespoons) and salt (half a teaspoon), mixing them together beforehand to dissolve (you can warm gently in a saucepan if need be, leaving to cool before using). Use a wooden spatula to break up rice lumps as you mix it in.
2. Then properly cool the seasoned rice down by spreading it thinly onto a tray and covering with a damp tea towel. Avoid putting it in the fridge as it will dry the rice out. It will keep fine for up to a day, with the sushi-su(vinegar mixture) helping to preserve it.

Preparing the fillings

1. Choose your fillings. You will need to source super-fresh, sushi-grade fish. You’ll find it at good fishmongers like Moxon’s in Clapham, Meek & Wild in Highbury, Notting Hill Fish Shop or online at The Fish Society. Salmon and tuna are the obvious choices but half the fun of doing sushi at home is getting experimental with the likes of sea bass and the sustainable mackerel. Also slice up some avocado (with a tiny squeeze of lime to avoid discolouration) and cucumber for a bit of variety. Everything should be thinly sliced.

Rolling

1. When making sushi at home for the first time focus on simple maki rolls, and nigiri – oblongs of rice on which you can elegantly drape your fish.

1. For the maki rolls, place a sushi mat (available cheaply from oriental stores) on your work surface with the slats running horizontally. Place a nori sheet, shiny-side down, on the mat. Using wet hands to prevent sticking, take a handful of rice and spread evenly on the sheet, leaving the top third of the sheet uncovered.
2. Place a thin row of your filling across the middle of the rice. Lift the near edge of the mat, and roll away from you, to encase the filling. Then dampen the top border with some water to seal. Wrap your roll tightly in cling film and chill until firm.
3. When ready to serve, brush your knife with a little rice vinegar to prevent sticking and cut the roll into inch-thick rounds.
4. Making nigiri rolls is even easier. Just scoop up some rice in your hand and press into an oval shape in your palm. Take a piece of fish, a ¼ inch thick, and 3 inches long, and drape over. You could even try using smoked salmon for an inauthentic but thoroughly delicious twist (you won’t need any soy sauce to dip as it will be salty enough).

Serving up

1. Place on a platter with little side bowls and plates for the accompaniments – soy sauce, picked ginger and wasabi. They are what makes it. Don’t bother trying to make the wafer-thin ginger at home, you’ll find it in Japanese stores or just nip into your local Itsu and ask nicely. Wasabi is even more important. I admit to being strangely addicted to the nose-burning burst of fiery heat it brings – poor man’s cocaine. As much as I love it, what we are used to is in fact the knock-off horseradish and mustard flour paste which is served in 95 per cent of sushi shops, as opposed to the real thing. Real wasabi is quite hard to find but is worth seeking out for its more aromatic taste. You can buy it online, in fresh pieces or even as a grow-your-own plant.

Or if you really can’t be bothered…

From the seven-seater Sushi Tetsu in Clerkenwell (the most difficult restaurant reservation in the country) to the people-watching palaces of Nobu and Zuma, London has no shortage of great sushi restaurants. The fish at Mayfair’s Umu shows off the bounty from Cornish waters. You could go even higher-end, to The Araki, where the set menu will set you back £310 pp but at least includes plenty of rare caviar from albino sturgeons. Or head to Japanese expat epicentres in Ealing and West Acton for better-value fare at the likes of Kiraku or Atariya.