Feb 2011 Sushi Club - Make Your Own

So for some time now people have been discussing doing a sushi course of some sort as our sushi club event. After overhearing some vague details at a party I contacted BlowFish and got some more information:


p.s. Everything in Italics below is from their press release

Blowfish Sushi Courses

The Japanese consider food an art and it is said that it should be viewed with

appreciation. The art of Sushi making has been refined and perfected by their people.

Therefore we use our best sushi chefs to teach the age old secrets and techniques of sushi

making. This unique concept has been voted as one of Cape Town’s top team-building

exercises. This 2 hour sushi lesson in which students are thought all five types of Sushi is

not only fun but you’ll be thought a new skill which you can entertain you guests with at

home. We would like to invite you to join us in orchestrating your own masterpieces. To

avoid disappointment please contact Blowfish to make your booking in advance.

Introductory Course

Blowfish provides all materials and products needed for the course. Each person will cut,

roll and garnish their own platter and enjoy their masterpieces at the end of the evening.

• Basic information on Sushi making

• Garnish making (Cucumber garnishing)

• Sashimi Slicing

• Nigiri Making

• Maki Rolling

• Californian Rolling

R275 per person, maximum 20 people per lesson.

The classes are first and last Thursday of the month. Now if we can get 10+ people we can have our own private lesson so, after some twitter discussion, I figured if we can get the 10+ then the date will be anounced closer to the time, most likely Monday 28 February 2011.

So you just need to sign up in the comments section and go!

Sushi for beginners

I am one of those people who wishes the "sushi fad" will pass, I have been wishing this since it started being a fad. Since people started eating sushi with a knife and fork, with salt and pepper. Since people started putting biltong and cream cheese in sushi. What do greek restaurants have to do with sushi exactly? I may be unpopular for my thoughts but so be it. I started eating sushi 15 years ago when it cost a lot less because it was less in demand and I would really like it to stop being a luxury already.

It's not all bad though, while in most places sushi is still stupidly expensive, without it being a fad we wouldn't have great all you can eat specials. Sushi supplies are also a lot more readily available in shops all over the place. So not all bad because it means I get to make sushi.

There are 2 secrets to great sushi. The rice and the fish. The rice needs to be slightly sticky but not mushy and the fish needs to be as fresh as possible. If you have those 2 things right, the rest is all just practice, practice, practice.

I learned by watching sushi chefs when ever possible, for me the videos and "sushi making kit" booklets were just confusing but watching masters at work put it all in perspective. I roll the pieces with my hands then shape with the mat, I find that the easiest. You, however, must do what feels right. Make sure your nori is fresh, if it's not 100% fresh, toast it a little. Fill it with what ever your hear desires and remember to clingwrap your mat.

Sushi rice

What you need:

4 cups sushi rice

4 cups water

1 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tsp salt

What to do:

Soak the rice for an hour. Drain then put in a pot with a tight fitting lid and add the 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil, cover and drop to the lowest heat possible. KEEP COVERED, do not lift the lid. Cook for 15 minutes then take off the heat. DO NOT LIFT THE LID! Steam for another 15. 

In the meantime heat up the vinegar with the salt and sugar till everything dissolves. 

When the rice has steamed, you can now take the lid off (no more shouting I promise), pour the rice into a plastic or wooden bowl. Pour the vinegar solution over the rice, dispersing it evenly. Mix the rice using a cutting motion to avoid squishing (yes, squishing is a perfectly acceptable word) the grains.

Allow to cool. 

As for the actual rolling part, that is something you need to see but make sure to make the rice layer thin and don't press the rice down or squish it too much

"sushi" in a bowl

Monday afternoon, while innocently sitting at work, handing out sushi advice to a friend I received an SMS from the fishmonger across the road. Now before you think there is something fishy going on, I only get them when the tuna comes in. How could I resist, fresh yellowfin tuna (orange on the SASSI list) and after spending so much time explaining to my friend the steps to perfect sushi I had to get it.

Only problem was that it was monday and I am sorry to break the news to you but FISH count as MEAT. When I got home with my tuna I suddenly got paranoid about whether it would stay fresh enough in the fridge to be eaten raw the next day so I decided that marinating was the way to go. I cut 2 steaks from the piece I had and marinaded them in the fridge until the next evening.

Still the sushi idea didn't want to leave so I got to making the rice. however, by the time TheHusband was done with work it was 10pm (I had to go fetch him) and the last thing I wanted to do was roll sushi. So I stopped off at woolies and grabbed some prawns, then fetched TheHusband and hurried home. I coated my tuna in sesame seeds and seared it, stir-fried the prawns with some garlic and spring onions and served it all on a bed of chilled sushi rice with a soya and wasabi mayo sauce.

Sesame crusted seared tuna

What you need (served 2 + leftovers for lunch):
500g fresh tuna
1 tbs hoisin sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp honey soy marinade
½ cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp wasabi (more if yours isn't strong like mine)
½ cup white sesame
½ cup black sesame

What to do:
Mix all the wet ingredients together making sure the hoisin is dissolved well. Place the tuna steaks in and leave for as long as possible (mine were in there for longer than 24hours). Heat a frying pan nice and hot. Mix your sesame seeds together and coat your steaks on both sides. Pop in the hot pan for about a minute each side (remember SEARED, not COOKED) then remove and allow to rest for a minute or 2 (I stir-fried the prawns in that time). Slice the steaks into chopstick managable sizes :)

November Sushi Club Active Sushi

Image courtesy of Active Sushi

JamieWho and Food24 were ranting about Active Sushi and so I decided it's time to put them under the critical eye of the #sushiclub 


Place: Active Sushi, 63 Strand street, Cape Town
Date: 16 November 2010
Time: from 7:30
please RSVP by leaving a comment on this post by the 14th so I can book in advance

September Sushi Club

Image borrowed from Modern Overland till I get home and find mine

Yay it's sushi time again. If you want to join in, no problem, just sign up in the comment section below :)

Details
Place: 1890 House Sushi & Grill, Trill road, Observatory
Date: 14 September 2010
Time: 19:30 onwards
Please RSVP by the 10th so I know how many to book for. For those with significant others who don't eat sushi there is a full hot food menu full of yummy food.

August Sushi Club

So the baton has been passed on to me from Marianna for Sushi Club this month as August is a busy month for her.

This month we going to head out to Rock's Royal Sushi which I have reviewed before here
Seeing as it is a bit of a drive out there a few people asked for a weekend so thats what we are going to do.

Place: Rock's Royal Sushi
          Shop No.1 Marine Promenade, Table View
Date: 14 August
Time: 1pm onwards
If you are in town, let me know, I can give 6 people a ride through :)

Rock's Royal Sushi - A Review

Anyone who has been eating sushi for many years knows that there are a few sushi "Masters" in Cape Town, some know them all, others know of 2 or 3 and some only know the ones they follow.

Rock, in my most humble opinion, is one of those "Masters" (I know a few more but this isnt about them :P ). In the industry, Rock is known as the "go to guy" if you want to know which sushi chefs to hire and he has trained a fair few of the chefs in Cape Town.

For many years we have followed Rock, from his days with Cape Town Fish Market, to Food Lover's Market and now to his own place in Table View.

A cosy little place situated on beach boulevard, next to Ice Zeit (which is next to News Cafe), the place is so new he hasn't had a chance to change the sign from the previous owners, he's been too busy making fresh, good quality sushi.

His prices are very reasonable on a menu FULL of choices and a note at the bottom urging you, if you dont see something you like, to just ask the chef for what ever you fancy. The ingredients are super fresh with no cutting corners to save money. Being in the industry as long as he has been, Rock has loads of connections and has no obligation to stick to a supplier if they cant get him what he needs (unlike at franchise locations). It was good to see local fish on the menu as well as firm favourites.

Not working alone, Rock has recruited Jesse, also from CTFM and FLM as his second in command and together they make fantastic sushi.

The service needs a mention as a bit of a caution. It isnt fantastic, the waiting staff still has a lot to learn but at the same time they are not disasterous and with a bit of patience everything is good :)

So for my ratings
Food ❤❤❤❤❤
Service ❤❤♡♡♡
Price ❤❤❤❤♡

p.s. I love this place so much I started a group for it http://bit.ly/9U9Wiw