Seared salmon nigiri

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Fantastic served individually as a canapé or scaled up to form an exquisite seafood starter, Hideki Hiwatashi's salmon nigiri recipe is seared using a blowtorch before serving leaving each piece with a beautiful, lightly charred finish. As with all sushi, make sure you buy the best quality fish available and use a very (very) sharp knife when slicing the salmon to ensure a clean cut. The sushi rice should be cooled to room temperature before using, so be sure to begin preparations in plenty of time.

First published in 2016
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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Salmon nigiri

  • 125g of salmon
  • 20g of salmon roe

Sushi rice

  • 150g of sushi rice
  • 180ml of water
  • 12ml of sushi vinegar
  • 3g of salt
  • 7g of sugar

To serve

Equipment

  • Microwave
  • Blowtorch

Method

1
Begin by soaking the sushi rice. Place the rice in a bowl and rinse well with cold water, rinsing and draining the rice 5 times. Pour over more water to cover and leave the rice to soak for 20 minutes
2
After this time, drain the water from the bowl and transfer the rice to a medium pan with a tightly fitting lid. Pour over 180ml of fresh water water, then place over a high heat and bring up to the boil
  • 180ml of water
3
Once boiling, cover the pan with its lid and reduce the heat to very low. Leave to cook for 20 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the water
4
Just before the rice has finished cooking, prepare the sushi vinegar. Place the salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and pour over the sushi vinegar. Heat in a microwave for 10 seconds to warm through, then stir well to dissolve
  • 12ml of sushi vinegar
  • 3g of salt
  • 7g of sugar
5
Remove the sushi rice from the heat and add, hot, to the bowl with the sushi vinegar. Fold the sauce through the rice until the vinegar has been evenly absorbed, then set aside to cool to room temperature
6
Meanwhile, prepare the salmon for the nigiri. Using a very sharp knife, carefully slice the salmon into 10 even strips, each weighing 12g. Arrange on a plate and set aside until required
7
Once the rice has cooled, measure out 10 balls of rice, each weighing 12g. Shape into rounded oblongs using your hands, then drape a piece of salmon across each one and place the nigiri on a baking tray
8
Using a blowtorch, sear the top and edges of the salmon until it begins to lightly char. Divide the nigiri between 10 small plates (or one large serving platter) and top each piece with 2g of salmon roe. Serve immediately with a scoop of wasabi and sushi rice on the side
First published in 2016
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With over fifteen years of rigorous Japanese culinary training behind him, Hideki Hiwatashi is well versed in the art of kaiseki cuisine.

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