My writer Karina headed along to an intimate sushi masterclass run by the NEWÂ Shikisai Japanese Cooking School last month and absolutely loved it. She learnt how to make sushi and my favourite teriyaki chicken. I wished I could have gone!
Here’s her post and all the details if you’re keen to become a Sushi Master too…
Sushi, the single greatest thing to have entered my life. From the standard California roll to the more unique smoked cheese and bacon nigiri, I love sushi.
Kyoto Seat is the principal teacher at Shikisai Japanese. Each class has about 4-5 people so you really get an intimate cooking experience. Kyoto runs a range of classes from basic to advanced so you can really pick a place that suits you best. Don’t worry if you have no prior cooking experience, you can start at the basic classes and before you know it you’ll be cooking advanced dishes.
All the cooking equipment and ingredients are provided by Kyoto so all you have to bring to class is an apron and a large container. My advice would be to remember the container because you will be making a lot of food and as much as you’ll want to eat all of it right there and then, you will have to bring some home. The classes are $100 per person and are held at the Cook’s Cookout in Victoria Park. You can also request for classes to be held at your own home if you prefer.
The cooking classes focus on making Japanese cuisine that is readily available to everybody so most of the ingredients used can be found at Coles. Kyoto also advises you on how to create healthier or even vegan sushi.
The first thing we learnt to make was Teriyaki Chicken. On contrary to the what you may think, making this infamous dish is actually really easy. Just as easy as making it with a ready-made sauce bottle, but without the extra preservatives and additives that big brands add in products. Essentially all that is required to make the perfect teriyaki chicken is; chicken (preferably thigh), plain flour, soy sauce and mirin. You just dust the chicken in some flour and cook it in a hot pan until it is about 80% cooked. Then add equal quantities of mirin and soy sauce. The result is delicious tasting Teriyaki chicken that is just as good as any Japanese restaurant.
One of my favourite elements to sushi is the sweet egg omelette. Traditionally the egg omelette is made by folding over a thin omelette over and over and over again, a process that is both incredibly difficult and tedious. But not to worry because there is an easier way. Just scramble three eggs, a couple of tablespoons of sugar and a little bit of water (one egg shell worth) and make an omelette in a warm pan, once it has very loosely set, drag all the egg to one side so that it becomes nice and thick. Then flip it over and let it cook until it is all done. Then you have a perfectly cooked sweet egg omelette.
The most exciting part however was learning how to actually roll the sushi. This is the part where the chance of something going wrong is the highest. Kyoto helped each of us individually the first time with a simple step to step procedure that made it so much easier, after doing it a couple of times, most of us got the hang of it and were rolling out sushi like the pros.
Though the class covers a range of different sushi types they all follow the same basic rules. The most important rule is to make sure that the seaweed does not get into direct contact with water or any of the fillings. The functional role of the rice (apart from making it yummy) is to be a barrier between the filling and the seaweed to protect the seaweed from breaking or being ruined. As a concept it’s rather beautiful. The second important rule is make sure your hands are wet when working with the rice, this will stop the rice sticking to you and makes rolling sushi so much easier.
I would recommend the classes to anyone interested in Japanese cooking. It is a fun day, you leave with valuable cooking tips and plenty of sushi. Find out more by emailing [email protected], visiting www.shikisaicooking.com.au or phone 0412 422 071.
