Description
Becoming skilled at making nigiri sushi at home takes patience, practice, and a keen eye for detail. This recipe shows you how to create authentic nigiri sushi pieces with the perfect balance of seasoned rice and fresh fish.
Premium ingredients come together to create elegant nigiri sushi pieces in this detailed recipe. Each piece needs 8.5 to 10 grams of rice with a perfectly sliced fish topping. The original recipe serves one person and makes about 30 pieces. You can share them or use them to practice your technique.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 30 slices sushi-grade fish (tuna, salmon, or yellowtail)
- Wasabi paste (optional)
- Small bowl of tezu (hand vinegar): 250ml water mixed with 40ml rice vinegar
Instructions
- Rice Preparation: Wash the rice until water runs clear and change water 4-8 times. Let it soak in fresh cold water for 30 minutes.
- Cooking Rice: Put rice and water in a medium pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes.
- Seasoning: Heat vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Put cooked rice in a wide bowl, add the hot vinegar mixture, and fold gently at a 45-degree angle.
- Fish Preparation: Cut fish against the grain into pieces about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 1/4 inch thick.
- Hand Preparation: Keep a small bowl of tezu mixture ready to prevent rice from sticking.
- Shaping Nigiri:
- Wet your hands with tezu
- Shape rice into a rectangular mound
- Make a slight dimple in center
- Add wasabi if desired
- Place fish over rice
- Press gently to secure
Notes
- Rice should feel slightly warmer than room temperature for best shaping.
- Use only sushi-grade fish that’s properly frozen for safety.
- Fresh nigiri stays good for up to four hours.
- Keep your workspace clean and wash hands or change gloves often.
- Use gentle pressure – think about holding a baby chick without hurting it.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Japanese