How to make sushi rice

In a future column, I’ll show you how to make handrolls in a step by step photo sequence. But for now, here’s a recipe for sushi rice. If you can get your hands on fresh sushi-grade fish (yes, Casson, I mean SUSTAINABLE fish) you can always make chirashi, which is simply sushi rice in a bowl and slices of fish draping on top. To show you the difference between farmed and wild salmon, here’s a photo from Casson’s brand new book, Sustainable Sushi. The wild salmon is in the foreground, and it has a smooth, beautiful reddish tinge. The farmed salmon is in the background with it’s Nemo-like stripes.

2 cups short grained white rice
3 quart heavy bottomed pot with tight fitting lid
2 cups water
sushi dressing (see below)

Put the rice in the pot and fill with cool water. Swirl the rice with your hands for a few seconds and dump out the milky water, keeping the rice grains in the pot. Repeat 3 more times, until the water is a bit more clear. Let the drained rice stand for 10 minutes. Add the 2 cups of water to the pot and cover with tight fitting lid. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Immediately turn heat to low and cook an additional 18 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit (still covered) for 5 minutes to finish steaming.

For the sushi dressing
5 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. If you are using “seasoned” rice vinegar, omit the sugar.