Sushi night

KevinKohler · Apr 8, 2017

I'm making my own sushi tonight, which I do every now and then, when I have the time. Was shopping for the stuff I need last night....and...I bought an octopus. Now, to date, I've tried making it twice before, and both times were epic fails....third times the charm?

If anyone has any tips....I'm all ear, as I like to say (I only have one functioning ear)

joG · Apr 8, 2017

KevinKohler said:
I'm making my own sushi tonight, which I do every now and then, when I have the time. Was shopping for the stuff I need last night....and...I bought an octopus. Now, to date, I've tried making it twice before, and both times were epic fails....third times the charm?

If anyone has any tips....I'm all ear, as I like to say (I only have one functioning ear)

I have never tried to do Sushi and probably should, as I love it. Or rather, I love Sashimi.
In restaurants I do not believe the octopus was ever raw. I gained the impression it was cooked in some way. Possibly lightly boiled.

KevinKohler · Apr 8, 2017

joG said:
I have never tried to do Sushi and probably should, as I love it. Or rather, I love Sashimi.
In restaurants I do not believe the octopus was ever raw. I gained the impression it was cooked in some way. Possibly lightly boiled.

Yes, it's boiled. But what I can't seem to get right is, for how long? And is that all they do? Because I boiled my last two, and were like chewing on a rubber band.

Making your own sushi is awesome, and fairly cheap...just time consuming.

Just make sure that the fish you use was frozen to at least -10 degrees, for at least 24 hours....which means, any fish from the frozen section of the store, as all of that stuff is coming from a ware house that's held at around -20 degrees. My favorite is red snapper, and ahi tuna.

PoS · Apr 8, 2017

Ive eaten so much sushi over the years Ive gotten tired of it. Now I prefer sashimi instead.

(If anyone is wondering what that is- it's sushi without the rice)

haymarket · Apr 8, 2017

KevinKohler said:
I'm making my own sushi tonight, which I do every now and then, when I have the time. Was shopping for the stuff I need last night....and...I bought an octopus. Now, to date, I've tried making it twice before, and both times were epic fails....third times the charm?

If anyone has any tips....I'm all ear, as I like to say (I only have one functioning ear)

Obviously the first rule is to buy only the freshest sushi grade fish. Go to a Japanese market where the sell lots of the product since quick turnover is the key. For octopus you can buy cut pieces that are ready to eat without any boiling - at least you can here in SE Michigan. Then cut into thin slices or small chunks.

One reason sushi bars give you a variety is that your taste buds get different tastes which make each new element so much the better. So throw in a few other things - salmon or mackerel or tuna always is great. This will also break up the chewy texture of eating one piece of octopus after another as the salmon and tuna are fairly creamy and the mackrel has a stronger fishier taste. Your octopus will taste so much the better.

KevinKohler · Apr 8, 2017

PoS said:
Ive eaten so much sushi over the years Ive gotten tired of it. Now I prefer sashimi instead.

(If anyone is wondering what that is- it's sushi without the rice)

I love sashimi, but tonight, I'm making it for my wife, and....she doesn't really like fish. She bought some pre made crap at the grocery store and ate, and said it wasn't bad. Like, she was surprised. Now mind you, I call that crap at the grocery store gas station sushi. There's little to no actual fish in it. So, I'm gonna make her the real thing, and see what she things.

I'm also going to do some udon noodles and a tip steak.

Just in case she decides that she continues to not like fish.

joG · Apr 8, 2017

KevinKohler said:
Yes, it's boiled. But what I can't seem to get right is, for how long? And is that all they do? Because I boiled my last two, and were like chewing on a rubber band.

Making your own sushi is awesome, and fairly cheap...just time consuming.

Just make sure that the fish you use was frozen to at least -10 degrees, for at least 24 hours....which means, any fish from the frozen section of the store, as all of that stuff is coming from a ware house that's held at around -20 degrees. My favorite is red snapper, and ahi tuna.

Do you treat the fish in any special way before cutting it?

Reading up on octopus preparation gave me the idea it needs to be simmered properly and then worked over to soften the fibers. I have found that here in Spain the Galician Style octopus can be too soft, if it is over worked.
Galician Style Octopus with Boiled Potatoes - Spanish recipe

haymarket · Apr 8, 2017

PoS said:
Ive eaten so much sushi over the years Ive gotten tired of it. Now I prefer sashimi instead.

(If anyone is wondering what that is- it's sushi without the rice)

I agree- and its less filling also. For lunch I often get a bowl of chirashi as it gives you the best of both worlds - sashimi plus you get some rice to eat as you prefer without diluting the taste of the fish and the rice helps prepare the palate for the next piece of fish.

KevinKohler · Apr 8, 2017

haymarket said:
Obviously the first rule is to buy only the freshest sushi grade fish. Go to a Japanese market where the sell lots of the product since quick turnover is the key. For octopus you can buy cut pieces that are ready to eat without any boiling - at least you can here in SE Michigan. Then cut into thin slices or small chunks.

One reason sushi bars give you a variety is that your taste buds get different tastes which make each new element so much the better. So throw in a few other things - salmon or mackerel or tuna always is great. This will also break up the chewy texture of eating one piece of octopus after another as the salmon and tuna are fairly creamy and the mackrel has a stronger fishier taste. Your octopus will taste so much the better.

Believe it or not, it's illegal to serve "fresh caught" fish as sushi...it MUST be frozen, to at least -10 degrees, for at least 24 hours.

I'd love to do mackerel, but I can't ever find it in the freezer section.

haymarket · Apr 8, 2017

KevinKohler said:
Believe it or not, it's illegal to serve "fresh caught" fish as sushi...it MUST be frozen, to at least -10 degrees, for at least 24 hours.

I'd love to do mackerel, but I can't ever find it in the freezer section.

Is that a state law?

Your info says you live in CT - which I guess is the great state of Connecticut. Do you have any Japanese markets near you? I did a quick search and found several in Conn. - but I do not know if they have a good fresh fish counter or not.

KevinKohler · Apr 8, 2017

haymarket said:
Is that a state law?

Your info says you live in CT - which I guess is the great state of Connecticut. Do you have any Japanese markets near you? I did a quick search and found several in Conn. - but I do not know if they have a good fresh fish counter or not.

Nope. There is a Chinese market, but they're selling the same there as I sell at BJs wholesale...its delivered by the same truck, from the same company.

I reiterate, though....I would never trust eating fish, especially salmon, that hasn't been flash frozen first, raw. Tuna would be the only one I would trust, as it's a "cleaner" fish, far less parasites found in its flesh. Salmon is full of parasites, as is snapper and mackerel. Any sushi restaurant you go to in the US...even the most high end joints in NYC...are serving you flash frozen fish. They are required by law to do so.

haymarket · Apr 8, 2017

KevinKohler said:
Nope. There is a Chinese market, but they're selling the same there as I sell at BJs wholesale...its delivered by the same truck, from the same company.

I reiterate, though....I would never trust eating fish, especially salmon, that hasn't been flash frozen first, raw. Tuna would be the only one I would trust, as it's a "cleaner" fish, far less parasites found in its flesh. Salmon is full of parasites, as is snapper and mackerel. Any sushi restaurant you go to in the US...even the most high end joints in NYC...are serving you flash frozen fish. They are required by law to do so.

Found this and you are right.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/sushi-fresh-from-the-deep-the-deep-freeze.html

But because of health concerns and growing demand, 50 to 60 percent of sushi in the United States is frozen at some point in its journey from the ocean, according to wholesalers. And rare is the sushi restaurant that tells customers upfront that they may be eating fish that has been in deep freeze for up to two years.

Most would be even more surprised to learn that if the sushi has not been frozen, it is illegal to serve it in the United States.

Food and Drug Administration regulations stipulate that fish to be eaten raw -- whether as sushi, sashimi, seviche, or tartare -- must be frozen first, to kill parasites. ''I would desperately hope that all the sushi we eat is frozen,'' said George Hoskin, a director of the agency's Office of Seafood. Tuna, a deep-sea fish with exceptionally clean flesh, is the only exception to the rule.

Do you ever go into New York? There are tons of great Japanese markets there and some of the freshest fish in the world.

I was not aware of the law. Thanks for the tip. Now a couple of times I have gone to special events at sushi bars where they butcher an entire tuna right in front of you.... would that have been flash frozen also?

KevinKohler · Apr 8, 2017

haymarket said:
Found this and you are right.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/sushi-fresh-from-the-deep-the-deep-freeze.html

Do you ever go into New York? There are tons of great Japanese markets there and some of the freshest fish in the world.

I was not aware of the law. Thanks for the tip. Now a couple of times I have gone to special events at sushi bars where they butcher an entire tuna right in front of you.... would that have been flash frozen also?

Yes, and is why it's better than the stuff you can buy that's already cut into steaks. Freezing the entire fish, whole, prevents the escape of moisture, and helps keep the integrity of the texture of the meat. It's phenomenal. I'm told by a friend of mine (a sushi chef), when done that way, you can't tell the difference between that and something caught 15 minutes ago.

I go into NY as rarely as possible, lol. It's loud, crowded, and everyone's an asshole. When I do go, sushi is always in the agenda, though. Can't get it like that in CT. Buying the whole tuna is VERY expensive, so most restaurants don't do it...except in NY. And watching them break down the fish is half the fun, too. Dinner theater, I call it. I like to think I'm pretty good with a knife, worked in kitchens most my life...but those dudes put me to shame.

KevinKohler · Apr 8, 2017

Ok, so I found something saying that the trick is to slowly cool the octopus while still in the water. Like, boil it till it curls, remove the pot from heat, let the water with the octopus in it, then pop it in the fridge till it's cool, while still in that water....the slow cool down tenderizes it....

Here goes nothing!

Winchester · Apr 8, 2017

KevinKohler said:
Ok, so I found something saying that the trick is to slowly cool the octopus while still in the water. Like, boil it till it curls, remove the pot from heat, let the water with the octopus in it, then pop it in the fridge till it's cool, while still in that water....the slow cool down tenderizes it....

Here goes nothing!

Massage the heck out of that octopus.

haymarket · Apr 8, 2017

KevinKohler said:
Yes, and is why it's better than the stuff you can buy that's already cut into steaks. Freezing the entire fish, whole, prevents the escape of moisture, and helps keep the integrity of the texture of the meat. It's phenomenal. I'm told by a friend of mine (a sushi chef), when done that way, you can't tell the difference between that and something caught 15 minutes ago.

I go into NY as rarely as possible, lol. It's loud, crowded, and everyone's an asshole. When I do go, sushi is always in the agenda, though. Can't get it like that in CT. Buying the whole tuna is VERY expensive, so most restaurants don't do it...except in NY. And watching them break down the fish is half the fun, too. Dinner theater, I call it. I like to think I'm pretty good with a knife, worked in kitchens most my life...but those dudes put me to shame.

Thanks for the inside info. I love learning new things.

Have you ever had sushi in the Florida Keys? They get lots of their product right from the ocean or gulf and its amazing. Its like eating Maine lobster right off the boat that brings it in form the Atlantic - nothing compares to it. There is a Japanese restaurant right near the Southern most point that we always hit when we are in Key West and its amazing. One of the few times I do not season my fish with wasabi or soy sauce.

Mr Person · Apr 11, 2017

KevinKohler said:
Believe it or not, it's illegal to serve "fresh caught" fish as sushi...it MUST be frozen, to at least -10 degrees, for at least 24 hours.

I'd love to do mackerel, but I can't ever find it in the freezer section.

I don't think it's illegal in every state, though it is true that most sushi has been frozen. Some fish do have to be deep frozen at sea, depending on where caught. It's generally better anyway - kills the parasites.

Medusa · Apr 12, 2017

humans invented the fire ,try it!

Sushi night

KevinKohler

joG

KevinKohler

PoS

Minister of Love

haymarket

KevinKohler

joG

haymarket

KevinKohler

haymarket

KevinKohler

haymarket

KevinKohler

KevinKohler

Winchester

haymarket

Mr Person

A Little Bitter

Medusa