You can find very nice sushi ready fish blocks from proper Japanese glossary shops, but they are very expensive.
Whenever I see really fresh fish in usual super market, I've been trying them if they can fit to make some sushi.
This is my note to keep record of fish that worked well with sushi.
* Description below does not guarantee anything for suitableness of fish to eat for sushi, use them on your own risk. I do take risk yes, I never had food poisoning by my sushi yet.
Risk level: Smoked salmon - very low / fresh salmon - low as long as the salmon is from UK
How often I can find fresh ones: almost every week
Point to check: Smoked salmon - see the package. Fresh salmon - Cannot use the wild salmon; the salmon in UK market coming from Scotland are not wild. Check at the fish counter to be sure. The fish eyes are clear and still fresh, blood eyes are OK. Whole body is covered by clean scales, shiny silver, the body is springy and hard.
When you cut, the orange meat and white strips are clearly separated and springy, the cut surface is slightly shine by the fish natural oil.
How to prepare: Smoked salmon - just from package. Nice to make Oshi-zushi - pressed sushi.
Fresh salmon - If you like to make sure like me, freeze the center chunk of half side (after taken the skin and bone) once then slice when the chunk start to melt in to Shashimi. Detail - I might post the detail in another day.
Sainsbury used to carry very fresh Tuna slices in pack before, but no longer that case. Lately ASDA carries better slices on their fish counter in Swindon. They usually defreezing the next batch of slices behind the shop, you can ask them to check if there is any just ready ones nicely.
Risk level: Low
How often I can find fresh one: almost every week
Point to check: The surface of cut is shiny and can see something like rainbow effect. The cut corners are sharp, colour of fish is not only red but has some transparency.
How to prepare: Sashimi - Slice them in a right angle to thin strings between meat, slightly diagonal. Can be used for Nigiri-zushi too.
Zuke - marinate the sashimi in the source made from soy source and mirin (sweeten sake) in 2:1 for about 1 hour. Can be used for Nigiri-zushi.
Tataki: slice them thin then chop them on a cutting board, then chop it with sliced spring onions together. Can be used for Gunkan-zushi (Ship style sushi).
Risk level: Mid high
How often I can find fresh one: almost every week. Do not use them during hot summer.
Point to check: the fish eyes are clear and still fresh, blood eyes are OK. Skin surface are blue, shiny and smooth but tightly stretched - no winkles around the stomach. The meat is hard, cannot twisted easily before cut. When you cut, the meat does not split into small pieces.
How to prepare: Su-jime - cured and pickle in sushi vinegar. I might post the prep work on another day.
Use for Saba-zushi
Where to buy: ASDA fish counter
Risk level: Mid high
How often I can find fresh one: almost every week but do not do this during hot summer
Point to check: The fish eyes are clear and still fresh. Whole body is covered by clean scales, shiny and hard. When you slice the meat is slightly transparent.
How to prepare: Kobu-jime - cured and marinated by Kobu sea wead. I might put up the prep work on another day.
Use for Temari zushi - small ball sushi, nigiri, tai-chazuke
Risk level: flesh ones - High
How often I can find it fresh: almost never can find one fits for sashimi/fresh sushi, only few times in winter season. However I use regular fresh ones for Kaba-yaki instead of eel for sushi.
Point to check: Same as mackerel but difficult to determine if it fits to sushi or not before slicing them; once sliced them, meat should be totally smooth, doesn't get clumsy or whiter from the bit where you sliced. Guts are totally clean and farm, no wetly. When skin it out, the shiny bits remain on the meat side rather than skin easily.
How to prepare: If all above conditions met, then I can use it for fresh sashimi. If even slightly doesn't fit to the conditions then make it to Namerou - cured, sliced and marinated with sushi vinegar and miso (soy beans paste), mixed with minced ginger and spring onion.
With regular condition ones, use them for Kaba-yaki - fried and cooked in teriyaki source then use it for nigiri.
Whenever I see really fresh fish in usual super market, I've been trying them if they can fit to make some sushi.
This is my note to keep record of fish that worked well with sushi.
* Description below does not guarantee anything for suitableness of fish to eat for sushi, use them on your own risk. I do take risk yes, I never had food poisoning by my sushi yet.
Shake - Salmon
Where to buy: Smoked salmon - any super market. Whole salmon - ASDA fish counterRisk level: Smoked salmon - very low / fresh salmon - low as long as the salmon is from UK
How often I can find fresh ones: almost every week
Point to check: Smoked salmon - see the package. Fresh salmon - Cannot use the wild salmon; the salmon in UK market coming from Scotland are not wild. Check at the fish counter to be sure. The fish eyes are clear and still fresh, blood eyes are OK. Whole body is covered by clean scales, shiny silver, the body is springy and hard.
When you cut, the orange meat and white strips are clearly separated and springy, the cut surface is slightly shine by the fish natural oil.
How to prepare: Smoked salmon - just from package. Nice to make Oshi-zushi - pressed sushi.
Fresh salmon - If you like to make sure like me, freeze the center chunk of half side (after taken the skin and bone) once then slice when the chunk start to melt in to Shashimi. Detail - I might post the detail in another day.
Maguro - Tuna
Where to buy: slice from ASDA fish counterSainsbury used to carry very fresh Tuna slices in pack before, but no longer that case. Lately ASDA carries better slices on their fish counter in Swindon. They usually defreezing the next batch of slices behind the shop, you can ask them to check if there is any just ready ones nicely.
Risk level: Low
How often I can find fresh one: almost every week
Point to check: The surface of cut is shiny and can see something like rainbow effect. The cut corners are sharp, colour of fish is not only red but has some transparency.
How to prepare: Sashimi - Slice them in a right angle to thin strings between meat, slightly diagonal. Can be used for Nigiri-zushi too.
Zuke - marinate the sashimi in the source made from soy source and mirin (sweeten sake) in 2:1 for about 1 hour. Can be used for Nigiri-zushi.
Tataki: slice them thin then chop them on a cutting board, then chop it with sliced spring onions together. Can be used for Gunkan-zushi (Ship style sushi).
Saba - Makarel
Where to by: Whole from Tesco / ASDA fish counterRisk level: Mid high
How often I can find fresh one: almost every week. Do not use them during hot summer.
Point to check: the fish eyes are clear and still fresh, blood eyes are OK. Skin surface are blue, shiny and smooth but tightly stretched - no winkles around the stomach. The meat is hard, cannot twisted easily before cut. When you cut, the meat does not split into small pieces.
How to prepare: Su-jime - cured and pickle in sushi vinegar. I might post the prep work on another day.
Use for Saba-zushi
Tai - Sea beam
Where to buy: ASDA fish counter
Risk level: Mid high
How often I can find fresh one: almost every week but do not do this during hot summer
Point to check: The fish eyes are clear and still fresh. Whole body is covered by clean scales, shiny and hard. When you slice the meat is slightly transparent.
How to prepare: Kobu-jime - cured and marinated by Kobu sea wead. I might put up the prep work on another day.
Use for Temari zushi - small ball sushi, nigiri, tai-chazuke
Iwashi - Sardine
Where to buy: ASDA fish counterRisk level: flesh ones - High
How often I can find it fresh: almost never can find one fits for sashimi/fresh sushi, only few times in winter season. However I use regular fresh ones for Kaba-yaki instead of eel for sushi.
Point to check: Same as mackerel but difficult to determine if it fits to sushi or not before slicing them; once sliced them, meat should be totally smooth, doesn't get clumsy or whiter from the bit where you sliced. Guts are totally clean and farm, no wetly. When skin it out, the shiny bits remain on the meat side rather than skin easily.
How to prepare: If all above conditions met, then I can use it for fresh sashimi. If even slightly doesn't fit to the conditions then make it to Namerou - cured, sliced and marinated with sushi vinegar and miso (soy beans paste), mixed with minced ginger and spring onion.
With regular condition ones, use them for Kaba-yaki - fried and cooked in teriyaki source then use it for nigiri.
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