Japanese Feast Table
Rolls, tempura and soup for a weekend gathering. Mix and match components to suit your guests.
- Prep
- 1 hr 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 50 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Advanced
Photo: Valeria Boltneva / Pexels
Sharing platters are about rhythm: rice first, then proteins, then assembly just before guests sit down. Tempura batter should be ice cold and lumpy; overmixing develops gluten and makes the coating heavy. Buy salmon labeled for raw eating and keep it on ice right up to the moment you slice it; cold fish cuts cleaner and tastes sweeter. Serve it with green tea or a crisp, cold drink.
Method
Work backward from serving time. Rice needs about an hour, fish prep 20 minutes and assembly 30 minutes, so start early.
Cook the rice with 3 1/4 cups of water and a small square of kombu in a rice cooker, or in a covered heavy pot: bring to a boil, then keep it on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest 10 minutes with the lid on.
Stir together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt until clear. Turn the hot rice into a shallow bowl, pour the seasoning evenly over it and cut through the rice with a paddle, fanning as you go so it cools quickly and turns shiny.
Prepare the proteins: trim any dark or sinewy edges from the salmon, then slice it on a slight angle in one long drawing stroke per piece. Thread a skewer lengthwise through each shrimp so it stays straight, simmer 2 minutes, cool in ice water, then peel.
Fry the shrimp and a few vegetables in ice-cold tempura batter at 350 F until pale gold.
Heat 3 cups dashi, add tofu and wakame, then dissolve the miso off the heat for the soup.
Roll two or three logs at a time, slice them just before plating and shape the nigiri last.
Arrange the largest items first, then fill gaps with smaller pieces, garnishes and little dishes of sauce.
Serve within 30 minutes with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, and set out small plates and chopsticks for everyone.
Chef's note
Cover finished pieces with a damp towel while you work on the rest.
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