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I absolutely adore sushi. There are few types I dislike. Something about the soft buttery fish and rice with copious soy sauce just makes me swoon. I know I violate rules by using as much sauce as I do, but I’m over it. Low blood pressure and all that. I flipping love soy sauce okay?

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Oh, and not all sushi is raw fish. Common misconception. Actually the majority of sushi is not raw. You must have nigiri or sashimi to be sure it’s raw. And even then… probably some exceptions. The blog The M Resort has a handy guide for keeping sushi terminology straight. The main ones are sushi, maki, nigiri, and sashimi. I won’t even try to overwhelm you or myself with all the different nuances of flavor, texture, color, and types of fish, or vinegars, additives, and temperature’s effects on rice.

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Sushi = any Japanese style fish roll, may or may not be raw, include vegetables, or be rolled in seaweed (nori).

Maki = rolled sushi using a bamboo mat. Typically rolled in seaweed, but can also use thinly sliced cucumbers.

Nigiri = raw slices of fish served over a hand-rolled slab of rice, no nori. Some sushi chefs add wasabi between the fish and rice.

Sashimi = raw slices of fish served without rice, as naked as it gets. Try it with wasabi and soy sauce mixed together.

So one day I’m grocery shopping, and see a gorgeous salmon fillet on sale that needs used today. As often happens when at the grocery store, just seeing one item sparks an idea, and today’s idea was “why not try to make my own sushi at home?” Don’t mind if I do. I did recently purchase a rice cooker (which I also flipping love) so hopefully that would make the process even easier.

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I did nothing special to the fish itself, as I wanted its natural flavor. I did try to doctor up the rice, and made my own dipping sauce. I also had some dumplings in the freezer, which I thawed and fried to make a lovely lunch.

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Ingredients:

1 8 oz salmon fillet

1 cup white rice

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

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Garlic-Ginger Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 tsp diced garlic

1 tsp sriracha

1 in piece ginger, peeled and sliced

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cornstarch

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Step 1: Put the rice and water in the rice cooker and cook. Alternatively, cook the rice in the microwave or stove-top according to package directions.

Step 2: White rice is cooking, mix all dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and heat 3 minutes in microwave. Whisk well and set aside.

Step 3: Slice the fish fillet as thinly as possible on the diagonal. Once rice is cooked, let cool to room temperature. Add vinegar, sugar, and salt and mix well.

Step 4: Take a tbsp of rice, and form into an oblong oval shape with your fingers. Press a thin slice of fish onto the rice and place on plate. Repeat with all fish slices.

Step 5: Fry dumplings according to package if you have them. Place dipping sauce on a plate with the nigiri.

Step 6: Enjoy! While not as good as a sushi restaurant, it was dang good for my first attempt. You better believe anytime fresh fish is on sale I will be trying this again.

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You could use really any type of filleted fish, and if you want to get real crazy, buy some nori (seaweed) sheets and make rolls. Add in avocado, carrots, cucumber, cream cheese… the possibilities are endless. Sushi is a great vegetarian and vegan option, you can even make dessert sushi! Give it a try.

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What’s your favorite type of sushi?