Tuna Nigiri Recipe

Rating 5.0

| 1

Tuna nigiri, also known as maguro nigiri, features a thinly sliced piece of tuna over a perfectly rectangular seasoned rice ball. Nigiri means two fingers in Japanese, which is where this small and delicious treat gets its name from.

Dinner

Japanese

ingredients

steps

minutes

Ingredients

Servings:

2 cup(s)

sushi rice

2 cup(s)

water

3 tblsp

rice vinegar

2 tblsp

sugar

1 tsp

salt

2 oz

yellowfin or bluefin sushi-grade tuna

soy sauce, for serving

wasabi, for serving

pickled ginger, for serving

Directions 11 steps | 55 Minutes

Step 1

Prepare the sushi rice. Wash the sushi rice thoroughly with cool water.

Step 2

In a covered pan or in the bowl of a rice cooker, combine the sushi rice and water. Cook the sushi rice on low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Prepare the sushi rice seasoning. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Step 4

Transfer the cooked rice into a flat bowl or container.

Step 5

Slowly add the sushi rice seasoning while the rice is still hot. Continuously mix the sushi rice with a rice spoon until the rice comes to room temperature.

Step 6

On a cutting board with a sushi knife or very sharp knife, thinly slice the fish against the fiber (lines), at a 45° angle. The fish should not be too thin or too thick. The size of the cut should be ½-inch wide and 2-inches long.

Step 7

Have a bowl of water next to you, wet your hands and start shaping the rice balls for the nigiri. Each rice ball should not exceed 25 grams.

Step 8

Shape a rectangle out of the rice balls first. Then cradle the rice ball in your palm and push down on it with your index finger and rotate until your rice ball looks like a well-defined rectangle.

Step 9

Place the thinly sliced fish in your hand at the base of your fingers and add a small dab of wasabi to the center of the fish.

Step 10

Next, place the rice on top of the fish and press down gently with your index finger. Flip the piece of sushi over so that the fish-side faces up. Repeat the same steps with the remaining ingredients: shape first and cradle, then rotate and serve.