Pressed Salmon Oshizushi
No rolling skills required, just a loaf pan and a little patience. Shaping nigiri is easier than it looks once the rice is seasoned properly and your hands are damp.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 3
- Level
- Medium
Photo: Ivan S / Pexels
This is the kind of plate you would be served at the counter, recreated step by step for home. 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
Rinse 2 cups of short-grain rice in a bowl of cold water, swirling and draining four or five times until the water runs almost clear. Let it drain in a sieve for 15 minutes.
Cook the rice with 2 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.
Meanwhile, pat the salmon dry and cut it against the grain into slices about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches long.
Line a small loaf pan with plastic wrap, overlap the salmon slices in a single layer on the bottom, then pack the rice on top to the rim. Fold the wrap over and press firmly with a second pan for 20 minutes.
Unmold onto a board, remove the wrap and cut into bars with a wet knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Finish with thin lemon slices.
Plate the pieces with a little space between them, scatter over lemon and eat within 15 minutes while the rice is still slightly warm.
Chef's note
Use about 20 g of rice per piece. Too much rice overwhelms the topping.
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