Category Archives: 寿司

Sushi & Sashimi: The Basics 4/3: Sushi Presentations-Donburi (Amended & Updated)

donburi-09-02-13

Donburi made by the Missus:
-She marinated thin slices of raw tuna in ponzu, sake and what else. The leftover marinade was poured over the rice to season it before she placed the pieces of tuna on top.
-Smoked salmon with capers.
-A spoon of “tobikko/flying fish roe”
-A generous portion of locally-made (up the Abe River in Shizuoka City) “Wasabi zuke/chopped wasabi stems and flowers fermented in “sake kasu/sake white lees” (all from Shizuoka Prefecture!)

There is another form of sushi, partly similar to Chirashizushi called Donburi Sushi.
It is popular not only at sushi restaurants, especially in Hokkaido Island, but also in Japanese homes all over Japan!
The moment you know how to prepare sushi rice, it is great fun!
You can make donburi vegan, vegetarian, seafood or even meat.
It is entirely up to your imagination!

Here is another example by the Missus:

DONBURI-HOME

Plain steamed rice topped with slices of “akami”/ lean tuna part, avocado salad with mayonnaise and wasabi pickles (the latter provided a nice balance with a spicy touch), boiled sirasu/whitebait sprinkled with “hijiki” seaweed and “tobikko”/flying fish roe.
The tobikko added a nice colour finish touh. It is quite cheap down here in Shizuoka City.
I poured a little Shizuoka-made wasabi dressing on top. This dressing is a lot milder than pure grated wasabi with a little sweetness which combines well with the fish!

I go very often to Hokkaido and have collected quite a few samples of Donburi:

The following three were taken near Abashiri a short distance from Shiretoko, one of the Japanese World Nature Heritage in the far North:

DONBURI-HOKKAIDO-1
“Oyako” Donburi/”Mother and Child”. In this case it means Salmon and Salmon Roe!

DONBURI-HOKKAIDO-2
“Uni” Donburi, Sea Urchin Donburi. Absolutely extravagant!

DONBURI-HOKKAIDO-3
Uni to Ikura Donburi, even more extravagant!

The next four were savoured in Sapporo City, the capital of Hokkaido:

DONBURI-SAPPORO-1
From bottom, clockwise:

“Uni” (Sea Urchin), “Kani Tsume” (Crab legs), “Maguro” (Tuna), “Nanban Ebi” ( large prawn variety)

DONBURI-SAPPORO-2
From bottom, clockwise:

“Hotate” (Scallops), “Uni” (Sea urchin), “Ika” (Squid), “Kani Tsume” (Crab legs)

DONBURI-SAPPORO-3
From top middle clockwise:

“Ikura” (salmon roe), “Kazu no ko” (herring roe), “Kampachi” (Amberjack), “Tako” (octopus), “Sake” (raw salmon), “Hotate” (scallops), in the centre, “Uni” (sea urchin)

DONBURI-SAPPORO-4
From bottom, clockwise:

“Hotate” (Scallops), “Ikura” (Salmon roe), “Kazu no Ko” (Herring roe), “Kampachi” (Amberjack), “Uni” ( Sea Urchin), “Kani Tsume” (Crab leg), “Ebi” (Boiled prawn)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
With a Glass,
Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!

Sushi & Sashimi: The Basics 4/2: Sushi Presentation-Rolls (updated & amended)

SUSHI-ROLL-2-SIZES
Futo-Maki/Large sushi roll with normal size nori-maki for comparison

I stopped counting the number of complaints I received about the so-called sushi rolls they serve in other countries. “Gross”, “Impossible to finish”, “Nothing to do with sushi”, and so forth.
This is like any “ethnic” food served outside its country of origin: some unscrupulous restaurateurs/businessmen catch on the fad and immediately serve “authentic” cuisine to gullible/unknowing customers.
But soon or later, thanks to better and faster global communications, the same customers will realize their mistake and stop patronizing such establishments.
The problem is that very often they are left with no decent sushi restaurant to visit.
About time to learn to make these famous rolls and enjoy them at home or parties until that great real sushi restaurant comes to town!
Here are some examples of sushi rolls to help you with your own crations!

SUSHIKO-08-12-25-9
California Roll by Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City

-Sushi do not have all to be of the”California Roll” type.
Below are typical examples of “futo maki/large maki” with the seaweed/nori outside.

SUSHI-ROLL-HOME-TYPE-1
Home-type futo-maki/large sushi roll 1

SUSHI-ROLL-HOME-TYPE-2
Home-type futo-maki/large sushi roll 2

They can be larger of course, but there is limit to size.
Below are great examples of what can be achieved with large types:

SUSHIK-09-08-31-1
Futo maki roll: (Large) Rainbow Roll at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

SUSHIKO-09-25-2
Pirikara Hotate Futo maki/large spicy scallops roll at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

SUSHI-ROLL-TONKATSU
Tonkatsu sushi roll

Nori-maki style rolls are probably the easiest to make, serve and eat.
And there are so many possibilities as you can devise them with a single ingredient!

SUSHIK-09-08-31-19
Negi-toro nori maki sushi roll at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City

vegan-sushi3
Kanpyo maki/dried gourd shavings roll

Making “decoration rolls” for the family can be great fun!
Look below for some examples:

SUSHI-ROLL-DECORATION

SUSHI-ROLL-DECORATION-2

Another type of roll very popular in Japanese restaurants and homes is te-maki/手巻き, literally hand-roll.
They have the advantage that you can choose your own ingredients at will!

TE-MAKI-ZUSHI-HOMESTYLE
Home-style te-maki plate!

TE-MAKI-2
Te-maki set served at a sushi restaurant.
Can you recognize the ingredients?

TE-MAKI-3
How about this one, also served in a sushi restaurant! Looks very healthy!

TE-MAKI-1
Japanese home-style te-maki made with cheese, shiso and canned tuna!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
With a Glass,
Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Chrisoscope, Agrigraph, The Agriculture Portal to shizuoka!