Crafting excellent sushi and sashimi requires proper knife handling, attention to details and a true devotion.
First, the article will provide instruction on how to hold as well as using Japanese knives, and then other techniques will follow.
Instruction in Knife Holding
The first step in cutting like a professional is what most people ignore, that is, learning how to hold the knife safely. Many people are guilty of this without even knowing they hold their knives the wrong way. An individual’s self-control when holding knives minimizes both the optimal angle of a cut and the flowers of the stroke that may arise in the elbow joint or wrist when cutting, the other extreme having a stiff arm cutting at an unnatural angle down the cole.
The Razor is the weapon of choice for sushi chefs with its devastating sharp thin blade and elaborate grip designed for hand usage. One more – Nakiri, a japanese vegetable knife, has a double edged blade and an ergonomic handle and is quite useful too. However, it seems, the longer blade profile may be different. Using nakiris makes your cooking quite easier at home.
Not even a sushi chef can handle the knife properly at times. Although many sushi chefs use the finger tip grip, it can be rather unwise as it does not support and may cause stress in the fingers with heavier knives. To grip your sushi knife tightly, wrap three fingers at the bottom of the blade’s bolster against the pinching grip. This will eventually feel natural and comfortable after some time.
Cut the Fish
Therefore, to make a great sushi, first select the best fish available and then cut it very well. If preparing sushi and seeking out good quality fish, make sure that even the most sensitive parts can easily be cut into thin slices without any effort.
It is vital that one uses a properly sharpened knife that is kept in good cleaning and maintenance conditions if they wish to cut anything that is tedious accurately. Pressing down too forcibly while handling fish is counterproductive as it results in unnecessary cuts and bruises. Fish flesh can be firmed using ice before the flesh is sliced.
When cutting fish, do so with the fish resting on a flat surface where you can press down on the cut portions. This will help ensure that the slices have uniform thickness. A regular cutting board has been used before, or one can use a tatami as well.
An easy starting point for the novices is to create the easiest possible salmon roll. This will enhance their knife skills. One will require a small sized piece of either salmon or tuna (roughly 0.5 pounds), rice, cucumbers and nori. Avocado or shiso may be used to decorate the dish or add taste. When starting to cut your fish, you have to ensure that all pin bones are out. To do this, one must lay the fish on its side and try to use his or her fingers to feel for any small bones. For these, one utilizes kitchen tweezers.
Knowing the Roll
Chefs wanting to hone the craft of sushi making must equip themselves with several knives of great sharpness. They should have the ability to cut fish, rice or vegetables, and even redeploy wrappers. This art requires its sharp blades because their base requirements involve cutting through many sorts of ingredients.
With regards to the blade of a sushi knife, it has only one edge. This knife is known as ‘Yanagiba.’ Their ends are sharpened into a very sharp edge so that clean cuts can be made. To help prevent excessive movement of the food throughout the cut, sushi chefs preferred long ‘saw like’ blades which cuts backward, across and forward (transversely) the food rather than thin tissue cutters. There is a simple rule preventing them from using any bread chasse Pistol back to back with moist sodas.
The grip is essential. Throughout cutting with a knife, the position of the hand must be like that of a paw in order to avoid the fingers from getting in contact with the sharp edges of the knife. It is better to cut small pieces at a time than to cut pieces of fish or vegetable at a stretch.
Apart from the main sushi knife, you will also require the deba knives to cut through fish bones or filleting. Usuba, which is mostly rectangular shaped will foil for making thin thin slivers out of vegetables that are otherwise too large and bulky. Most commercial sushi chefs choose nakiris, which are double-edged vegetables knives. In respect to home cooks, however, they would benefit most from employing the usuba.
Apply the Sword
There are every day menial jobs that a sushi chef should learn because they blend together towards producing mouth-watering meals. These tasks are trivial and are often left out easily. Mostly, however, the tasks combine in the end to produce great results, a great sushi chef.
In order to make neat cuts, it is necessary to use a knife that is extremely sharp. To make sure that the contents of each roll do not fall out, it is prudent to also wrap each roll with such plastic wrap before placing it on the work top.
For clean cuts, it is important to have a good grip of the knife while cutting. The knife’s fulcrum is to be positioned in the indent of the left index and thumb fingers while the remaining hand wraps round the knife handle. This also enables you to manage the upper end of the knife better so as to avoid any forms of slips.
If you want to advance your sushi knife techniques, it is worth it to buy a whetstone. Make it a part of your daily schedule to have a knife sharpening routine. You will be able to take proper care of your sashimi knives and you will be able to practice and enhance your knife making techniques. There is a variety of roll cutter sizes ranging from smaller kitchen equipment to larger catering equipment able to slice large number of sushi rolls in a single cut.
