Sushi secrets

Oct 30 2008 By Emily Bridgewater

WITH a gut-wrenching crunch my knife severed the seabass before me, cleanly separating its head from its body.

Dismembering a fish was a new experience for me because although I’m not proud to admit it, I always buy my fish neatly filleted and packaged in polystyrene trays.

But while the Woktastic Sushi School may not be for the faint of heart, it is about learning more than just the difference between sashimi and a California roll.

Led by head chef Tony De Gracia, lessons begin with choosing the right ingredients for the job, starting with the fish.

Fresh from wholesale that morning, the fish - salmon, seabass and tuna - was perfect Tony said, with it’s glistening eyes, red gills, firm flesh and distinct lack of odour.

We started by preparing the seabass, an intricate job given its diminutive size. Tony made the whole deal look effortless, swiftly removing gills and head before filleting and pinboning the flesh with tweezers. And no part goes to waste, with leftovers boiled together to make a steamy miso soup.

I have to admit my knife skills weren’t up to much, although with Tony’s infinite patience and guidance I was able to fillet the bass to a satisfactory level.

The same procedure was required for the salmon, although in stark contrast, this was a beast of a fish at more than 2ft in length.

With the salmon carved open, Tony was able to show us the parts of salmon used for particular sushi dishes.

Just as important as the fish, chef next demonstrated how to prepare and cook sushi rice, recommending the use of rice cooker for perfectly steamed grains.

Adding a special rice vinegar to the cooked rice gives it flavour, helps it stick together and gives it an appetising sheen, explained Tony.

With the two fundamental ingredients now prepared, it was time to get creative.

Starting with sashimi - delicately sliced morsels of prime raw fish - Tony first showed us how to carve the fish to the ideal thickness, then arrange it like a work of art on a bed of finely grated radish and carrot.

It’s presentation I’ve only seen in fine restaurants and tricky to pull off with my untrained hand.

Next followed nigri - raw fish atop a tightly packed mound of glutinous rice - and this was an even more difficult skill to master than the last - although ultimately satisfying once the basic art had been grasped.

With more than 20 years’ experience in some of the world’s top hotels and restaurants, Tony, 46, is an ultimate professional and a perfectionist with a flair and passion for what he does. However, he is also patient and modest, boosting my own confidence with hearty praise.

Then out came the nori, small sheets of darkest green seaweed synonymous with the most famous kinds of sushi - the maki and Californian rolls.

Armed with a bamboo rolling mat, plenty of rice and a variety of fillings including strips of raw fish, cucumber, avocado, asparagus and mooli, the culinary world was our oyster.

Other fillings and adornments we could use were mixed sesame seeds, coloured fish roe, wasabi paste and Japanese mayonnaise.

My finest creation, was a California roll which featured rice rolled in green roe, encassing nori, a tempura prawn and mayonnaise. Not only did it look incredible but I later found out that it also tasted pretty special.

In fact, while the sushi techniques were tricky to master I felt my biggest difficulty was resisting a bit of in-kitchen tasting.

However, my patience was handsomely rewarded with a decadent feast featuring some of the dishes I’d helped make, plus a few of the chef’s treats such as savoury miso soup and featherlight tempura vegeatbles.

Woktastic say they are going to start selling take-home sushi making kits and if they do, I’ll be first in line because I’ve caught the bug. I only hope my other half isn’t opposed to the odd fish head lying about!

* Woktastic Sushi School is held at the Woktastic Sushi and Noodle Bar in Paradise Forum. Classes are available for between five and 10 people. The cost is £49.99 per person and includes a Japanese breakfast and full sushi tutorial followed by a three-course lunch including a glass of Champagne or Sake.

* For more details call 0121 236 3130 or email feedme@woktastic.co.uk. Alternatively visit www.woktastic.co.uk