Out & About June 2017

A taste of Japan SIMON RHODES is a great fan of Sushi and Sashimi, seafood-based staples of Japanese cuisine Sushi and Sashimi

make your eyes water like hot horseradish. Sushi and sashimi are great fun to prepare and the taste, once you are used to it, is indescribably fresh. Only the freshest of fish such as tuna, bass, mackerel and salmon will do. But first you have to make Japanese sushi rice and I have a fail-safe method to get you started: First put 500g of rice in a bowl (it is important to use proper sushi rice). This needs to be washed about five times. The cloudy water should run white. Then place the rice in a saucepan and add about 110 per cent water to the volume of rice. Bring it to the boil, cover and let it simmer for 17 minutes. Remove from the heat and then let it stand for a further 17 minutes. Remove the rice from the pan and spread it onto a tray. When the rice is about 50C add a sprinkling of sushi vinegar and salt to the rice and stir it in. You should now have fluffy but slightly sticky rice. To make your sushi rolls spread the rice on a piece of seaweed, accompany with some raw tuna or salmon, sliced cucumber and spring onion and roll it together. With a sharp knife slice the sushi into interesting shapes. This takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it it is great fun. I have to admit that when I first tried it I was a little unsure of the taste, however now that I am accustomed to the flavours it is one of my favourite cuisines.

As the summer is approaching and, with a bit of luck, the weather turns warmer, our eating habits change to something a little lighter like salads and cold dishes. Seafood becomes a lot more popular in the summer months, maybe as people get in the holiday mood and reminisce about sitting in the sun near the beach eating wonderfully fresh shellfish and seafood accompanied by a cool glass of wine or a cold beer. I think that due to our long winters we appreciate this situation far more than we care to realise. Talking of lighter meals another dish that works well during the summer is the Japanese cuisine of sushi and sashimi. Many people confuse the two styles as the same but they are completely different dishes. Sushi refers to any dish made with vinegared rice. While raw fish is one traditional sushi ingredient, many sushi dishes contain seafood that has been cooked, and others have no seafood at all. Sashimi is the preparation of raw fresh fish and served with accompaniments such as pickles and miso soup. Sashimi is often the first course in a formal Japanese meal, but it can also be the main course, presented with rice and miso soup in separate bowls. Japanese chefs consider sashimi the finest dish in Japanese formal dining and recommend that it be eaten before other strong flavours affect the palate. Sashimi is usually served with soy sauce, wasabi and fresh pickled ginger, although I also like sushi with soy and pickled ginger. Careful on the wasabi though, too much can

Simon Rhodes owns: The Lobster Pot Fishmongers. Cobbs Farmshop, Bath Road, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0SP Telephone: (01488) 686770 About the author

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