Japanese Sushi Recipes - Pressed Mackerel Sushi (Battera Sushi) Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Sushi Rice (see recipe)

• 10 oz (300 g) fresh mackerel or herring fillets, skins intact

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

• 3/4 cup (185 ml) rice vinegar

• 1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste

• 1 tablespoon vinegar, mixed in 1/4 cup (60 ml) water

• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

• Japanese soy sauce, to serve

• Pickled young ginger slices, to serve

• 1 cake pan or non-reactive plastic box (about 7 x 5 in/18 x 12 cm) or oshiwaku (wooden sushi pressing box with cover)

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Method:

1. Make the Sushi Rice by following the Sushi Rice recipe . While the rice is cooking, remove any small bones from the mackerel or herring fillets. Sprinkle the fish lightly with the salt and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Rinse the salt off the fish and immerse in the sweetened vinegar. Marinate for 1 hour, then remove the fish and gently pull off the thin membrane covering the skin.

3. Line the bottom of a cake pan with wax paper or a damp cotton cloth. Lay the fillets in the box, skin side down. Slice the fillets, if necessary, to cover the base of the box. Spread the wasabi paste over the fish.

4. Moisten your fingers with a little diluted vinegar and spread half the Sushi Rice over the fish. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and add the remaining rice and spread evenly in the cake pan. To compress the rice, lay a piece of shrink-wrap over it, then place a piece of cardboard on top and press firmly. You may also use a smaller box with a flat base that fits into the cake pan to compress the rice. Set aside in a cool place until ready to serve.

5. Turn the rice and fish out onto a cutting board. Carefully wet a sharp knife with the diluted vinegar and slice the sushi into small rectangles using long sawing motions. Serve with dipping bowls of soy sauce and pickled ginger.