Like all good addicts, I do have (some) standards. No eating sushi alone, and no sneaky nigiri before 11am. I solemnly swear never to touch the stuff sold in supermarkets. And I can stop anytime I want.
People are often surprised I don't make sushi more often. Frankly though, the idea holds the same appeal as distilling my own liquor or home-growing opiates. Far too much hassle.
However the economics of home economics can't be argued with, and with my restaurant sushi spend increasingly diverted towards pricey but infinitely more worthwhile venues, it was time to get down to some sushi DIY.
So I took myself down to the Kingston branch of Atari-Ya and raided the sashimi-grade fish counter, via the time-honoured method of pointing and holding your hands 'this' far apart to order that 'much hamachi, please?'.
The haul:
- Salmon - enough for 6-7 slices
- Hamachi (yellow tail) - 4-5 slices
- Ikura (salmon roe) - 1 spoonful
- Scallops - two, large
- Black cod fillets - three
The Japanese gentleman at the counter offered to cut the salmon and hamachi for sashimi, but I shook my head. They say budding sushi chefs practise by cutting blocks of konnyaku (see previous post) as it's cheaper; I opted instead to practise on my lunch.
Total spend: Around £24. Seeing as this made up the bulk of lunch and dinner for two, with leftovers, I'll have to grudgingly admit home-made sushi is definitely the way forward for cash-strapped sushi fiends.
And it's proof that not all budgetary cuts* need be that painful. Sigh.
*For those outside the UK that care: BBC News - Budget At-a-glance
Do you have any leftover Hamachi :)
Posted by: Damien | June 28, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Wow, beautiful sushi. Here in Norway sushi restaurants tend to be prohibitively expensive but the seafood here is excellent, so maybe homemade is the way to go for me. Any tips on getting the rice just so?
PS - What's wrong with nigiri before 11am? :-)
Posted by: Nordic Nibbler | June 29, 2010 at 08:32 AM
omg... i'm drooling all over my keyboard!~
Posted by: WinterRose | June 29, 2010 at 06:00 PM
Your DIY sushi and sashimi looks stunning! Mine look quite literally and unappealingly like dead fish (no pun) when I make them... maybe it's the Atari-ya grade fish, I haven't had supre fresh sashimi since living in Sydney, but these look great!
Posted by: catty | June 30, 2010 at 04:13 PM
Thanks for all the lovely comments!
Nordic Nibbler - I'm still working on my sushi rice - a bit of a work in progress, will keep you updated... In the same vein, if anyone knows the secret to infallibly good sushi rice, do share!
Posted by: JenJen | June 30, 2010 at 11:12 PM
That looks beautiful!
Posted by: Kaiji Sushi | July 09, 2010 at 07:54 PM
Great photos. Looks delicious!
I am trying to increase my sushi-making skill at home and having no traditional training, it's been a challenge. But I was taken aback when you said you don't touch supermarket sushi. I think that those sushi are the best to learn from and improve upon and a taste test once in a while can serve as a benchmark for how your own skill is progressing. It's not (that) uncommon for sushi pros to eat at competitors' restaurants to figure out why they've suddenly been getting a whole new wave of customers without lowering price.
Posted by: Sushi Sniper | September 10, 2010 at 03:10 AM
Sushi Sniper - I live in the UK, so when I say "supermarket sushi", I'm talking about dry, tasteless, non-sushi sushi that local supermarkets sell here. I'm sure Japanese supermarket sushi is definitely worth having!
Posted by: JenJen | September 10, 2010 at 05:30 PM