Sushi at Home

The path

1. 1
   Level 1Free

   Sushi at Home

   Maki, nigiri and a hand-roll party

   15 Steps, about 37 minutes each. Anyone who can cook rice. No sushi experience, special knives or raw fish needed.

   1. Chapter 1: Rice and rolls. Seasoned sushi rice, a hand roll, cucumber and avocado rolls cut cleanly, and fish bought and handled safely.
   2. Chapter 2: New shapes. Inside-out rolls, a big futomaki, nigiri shaped by hand, and a vegetarian platter.
   3. Chapter 3: Sushi night. A plan, a prep day and a sushi night for friends with rolls, nigiri and a hand-roll bar.

   1. 1
      Make rice and a hand roll

      A pot of seasoned sushi rice and your first hand roll, eaten.

      Sushi is really about the rice. The word "sushi" refers to rice seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt, not to raw fish. Good sushi rice is sticky enough to hold together, but each grain stays separate and glossy.

      Rinsing removes loose starch from the surface of the grains, which would otherwise make the rice gluey. Cooking with slightly less water than usual leaves room for the seasoning.

      The detail beginners miss is how to mix in the seasoning. Use a cutting and folding motion with a paddle, slicing through the rice and turning it over, rather than stirring. Stirring mashes the grains. Fan the rice while you mix, so it cools quickly and turns shiny.

      Here's an example. 2 cups of Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed four or five times until the water is nearly clear. Cooked with 2 cups of water. 4 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, dissolved. Rice spread in a wide bowl, seasoning drizzled over, folded and fanned until it's body temperature.

      Right is glossy rice that tastes lightly sweet and tangy. A hand roll is the easiest first sushi: a cone of nori with rice and cucumber, eaten right away. Use cooked rice within about four hours, and refrigerate leftovers.

      Just One CookbookJust One Cookbook
      Show your group
   2. 2
      Roll cucumber maki

      Two thin cucumber rolls (kappa maki), rolled tight with the mat.

      Just One Cookbook
   3. 3
      Cut rolls cleanly

      Three rolls cut into neat, even pieces with no squashing.

      Chef JA Cooks
      Show your group

   See all 15 Steps

   1. 4
      Buy fish safely

      Fish (or a cooked alternative) bought for sushi, and kept cold until you use it.

      PBS Food
   2. 5
      Roll a fish maki

      Two tuna or salmon rolls (or smoked salmon), cut and plated.

      Just One Cookbook
   3. 6
      Roll inside-out

      A California-style inside-out roll (uramaki) with rice and sesame on the outside.

      Your Guardian ChefChef JA Cooks
   4. 7
      Roll a big futomaki

      A fat roll with five fillings that shows a pattern when cut.

      Just One Cookbook
   5. 8
      Shape nigiri

      Ten nigiri with even rice and a topping that sits snugly on top.

      The Sushi FAQ
   6. 9
      Slice fish for nigiri

      Even, thin slices of fish on nigiri, cut against the grain.

      Food Republic
   7. 10
      Make a vegetarian platter

      A platter of rolls and nigiri with no fish at all.

      Gourmandelle
      Show your group
   8. 11
      Plan a sushi night

      A menu for four, a shopping list and a timeline.

      Just One Cookbook
   9. 12
      Set up a hand-roll bar

      A practice hand-roll bar with rice, nori quarters and six fillings.

      Just One Cookbook
   10. 13
       Top an inside-out roll

       A showpiece roll with avocado or fish fanned across the top.

       Sushi SeriesChopstick Chronicles
   11. 14
       Prep for the night

       Fillings cut, sauces ready, and rice timed for your guests.

       America's Test Kitchen
   12. 15
       Host your sushi night

       Rolls, nigiri and a hand-roll bar served to friends or family.

       Just One Cookbook
       Show your group
2. Level 2Unlocks after Level 1

   Fish and Knives

   Breaking down a fillet and sashimi

3. Level 3Unlocks after Level 2

   Omakase Night

   A tasting menu for friends

Where it ends: a sushi night you host

Free lessons in Sushi at Home come from Just One Cookbook, Your Guardian Chef, Chef JA Cooks, PBS Food, America's Test Kitchen, The Sushi FAQ, Food Republic, Gourmandelle, Sushi Series, Chopstick Chronicles, Kikkoman. We link to their work and never copy it.