Perfect sushi rice
In Japanese, sushi means seasoned rice, not fish. A sushi master spends years on the rice alone, and at home it comes down to four steps: rinse until the water runs clear, cook with the lid closed, season while warm and cool by fanning.
Instructions
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Rinse the grains ⏱ 5 min
Put the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water. Rub the grains gently with your palm, pour off the milky water and repeat 4 to 5 times, until it runs almost clear. The surface starch is what makes rice gluey.
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Let it soak ⏱ 30 min
Drain the rice well and leave it for 30 minutes in the colander or covered with cold water. The grains hydrate evenly and cook without splitting outside while staying raw in the middle.
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Cook at 1 to 1.2 ⏱ 12 min
Put the rice with 600 ml of cold water and the kombu in a pot with a heavy lid. Bring to the boil over high heat, then drop to low for 12 minutes. Never lift the lid while it cooks.
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Rest under the lid ⏱ 10 min
Take the pot off the heat and leave it untouched, lid on, for another 10 minutes. The trapped steam finishes the grains at the top. Remove the kombu before the next step.
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Make the sushi vinegar ⏱ 3 min
Warm the rice vinegar with the sugar and salt over low heat until fully dissolved, without letting it boil. Let it cool slightly while the rice rests.
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Season and cool
Tip the rice into a wide wooden or glass vessel, pour the vinegar over the paddle so it spreads evenly and cut through the rice with diagonal strokes, never stirring. Fan it as you go, about 5 minutes, until glossy and at body temperature.
Good to know
Sushi rice is used at body temperature, neither hot nor fridge cold. Chilled, the grains harden and lose their shine. A wooden vessel absorbs excess moisture, but a wide glass bowl on a clean towel works too.
Frequently asked questions
Why do you rinse sushi rice before cooking?
To wash off the surface starch that makes the grains gluey. Rub the rice with your palm and change the water 4 to 5 times, until it runs almost clear.
What water to rice ratio do I use for sushi rice?
For 500 g of Koshihikari Sushi Rice you pour 600 ml of cold water, a 1 to 1.2 ratio. Cook it for 12 minutes on low with the lid closed, then rest it for 10 minutes under the lid.
Why should you never lift the lid while it cooks?
The trapped steam does the cooking, and lifting the lid lets it escape so the grains turn out uneven. Keep it closed for all 12 minutes on low heat and the further 10 minutes of resting.
What temperature should sushi rice be served at?
At body temperature, neither hot nor fridge cold. Chilled, the grains harden and lose their shine, which is why you fan it for 5 minutes after pouring in the vinegar.
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Perfect sushi rice
Perfect sushi rice
In Japanese, sushi means seasoned rice, not fish. A sushi master spends years on the rice alone, and at home it comes down to four steps: rinse until the water runs clear, cook with the lid closed, season while warm and cool by fanning.
Notes
Sushi rice is used at body temperature, neither hot nor fridge cold. Chilled, the grains harden and lose their shine. A wooden vessel absorbs excess moisture, but a wide glass bowl on a clean towel works too.
