Sashimi
Considering how simple and pleasurable sashimi is, it's surprising how few amateur chefs try their hand at it. The main trick, of course, is to buy the very best fish available -- the best money will buy, no matter what the cost. Only the very freshest fish will do; if it isn't absolutely fresh, you'll know it when you bite into it. Where cooking and sauces may mask a lack of freshness in supermarket quality fish, in the world of sashimi, there's no place to hide. If you're shopping at an Asian market, ask for sashimi grade seafood. It will cost more, and it's worth every penny.
In the Pacific Islands, ask for sashimi and you will usually get tuna. Yellowfin tuna is excellent, whilst bigeye tuna is even better. Make sure it hasn't been frozen - the texture becomes spongy as ice-crystals rupture the cells, although flash-freezing can prevent this. In northern Micronesia you may even get skipjack or bonito sashimi, but the taste of this is too strong for most palates. Spanish mackerel and wahoo are also commonly used.
Aside from buying the best fish, to prepare sashimi you need really good knives. If there's an Asian market near you, invest in a set of sashimi knives, which are long, thin and sharp as razors. If you can't find a sashimi knife, try a boning or filleting knife, along with a whetstone or steel with which to keep the edge always sharp. A true sashimi chef is a master of the knife, long before he (or she) cuts his (or her) first slice of tuna.
Cutting the Fish
There are three basic cuts the amateur sashimi chef should know. One is the "straight cut," best for tuna and other oilier fish, where the knife is held at a 90 degree angle to the fish, and cleanly sliced through. Then, there's the "slant cut," which is best for firmer, less oily fish like sea bass. In this case, the knife is turned at a slight angle, in much the same way that smoked salmon is sliced. Though it's not often used by the amateur sashimi chef, the "string cut" is the way to deal with chewy seafood like squid, where the cuts are thin and long; the result is strips of seafood that can be used to literally wrap the rice.
Dipping Sauces
Combine wasabi (Japanese green horseradish powder) with water and soy sauce. Or combine wasabi with water, soy sauce and grated daikon (Japanese radish). Or combine soy sauce and lemon juice.
Korean sashimi is typically eaten wrapped in lettuce leaves
Sushi Rice
Should you want to expand from sashimi (raw fish) to sushi (raw fish on rice).
Two cups medium grained rice
Three cups water
Four tablespoons rice vinegar
Four tablespoons sugar
Two teaspoons salt
Wash the rice. Let sit in water for half an hour. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for another 15 minutes. Boil vinegar, sugar and salt. Combine rice and vinegar mix.
Adapted from the MITSUBISHI.COM website
