4 Great Tips for Crafting Sushi on your Sportfishing Boat

The Fresh Catch: A Culinary Treasure for Sportfishing Crew

Having access to fresh fish is undeniably one of the best parts about working in sportfishing as a wild game chef. When the fish is fresh, the variety of ways to prepare it are endless. We have all enjoyed fresh sashimi in the cockpit, whether it be fresh wahoo or tuna. Sushi, more specifically sashimi and nigiri, is quite possibly one of my favorite snacks to make offshore. Sashimi is the most common type of sushi, and it is simply thinly sliced raw fish typically served with a side of sauce. Nigiri roughly translates to “two fingers,” and features thinly sliced fish draped over a small amount of sushi rice. Making sushi offshore can require a bit of planning and preparation, which is why I have put together a list of things I have found incredibly helpful when making sushi offshore.

Galley Essentials for the Ultimate Sushi Experience

I recommend you add a rice cooker, an instant pot, ninja foodie or something similar to your galley equipment. While the rice cooker isn’t as versatile for other applications as the other two, it is still a great tool to have. To make good sushi rice you typically need four things: rice vinegar, kombu, sugar and short-grain Japanese sushi rice. However, while working in Alaska last summer, I discovered Tamanoi Sushi Seasoning. Tamanoi is an instant sushi rice powder that really is a gamechanger for sushi rice. You can buy a multi pack on Amazon for $20. It stores well and doesn’t take up any space, which is a major bonus on the boat!

Crafting Sushi on your Sportfishing Boat with Traditional Flavors

You also need the classic combination of soy sauce and wasabi. The best nigiri in the world features a small amount of wasabi on the underside of thinly sliced fish, placed on top of the rice and then brushed with soy sauce. My personal preference is smoked shoyu soy instead of regular soy sauce. I like a wasabi paste called S&B, which is available in most major grocery stores. I also like to add a pinch of toasted sesame oil to really enhance the flavor of the fish. The flavor combinations are virtually endless when it comes to making sushi on the boat, but keeping it classic is never a bad idea.

TUNA NIGIRI INGREDIENTS

• Your preferred tuna cut

• 1 cup of short grain Japanese sushi

• 1 packet of Tamanoi sushi rice seasoning

• Wasabi paste

• Soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare your rice according to the directions. Add in sushi rice seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.

2. Thinly slice your tuna. I really like 1/16 to ⅛ inch for a sashimi or nigiri slice. If you’re having trouble getting a good slice, try placing your fish in the freezer for 15-25 minutes. Use the entire blade of your knife, starting at the base and pulling the tip all the way through your fish.

3. Once you have your fish sliced, place a tiny bit of wasabi paste on your finger and rub on the bottom side of each slice.

4. Make your rice balls, wet your finger with water and ball up 1 tbsp. of rice, shaping it in a small oval that is just slightly smaller than your fish slice.

5. Place your fish wasabi-side down on top of the rice ball and lightly brush with soy sauce.

QUESTIONS

Q: How do I make sushi rice without Tamanoi?

Mix 2 cups of cooked sushi rice with 4 tbsp. of rice vinegar, 2 tbsp. white sugar and 1 tsp. kosher salt.

Q: What is smoked shoyu and where can I get it?

Smoked shoyu is a small-batch artisanal Japanese-style soy sauce that will really take any dish up a few notches in flavor. You can easily find it on Amazon, and my favorite brand is Haku.

Q: Rice cookers, how do I use them?

I really can’t stress this enough: READ the directions. Each rice cooker is very different and has different settings, but if you don’t have a rice cooker, you can definitely successfully make rice in a squirrel cooker that has a well fitted lid.

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