Gunkan Sushi Recipe (Battleship Sushi)

Gunkan sushi, often known as battleship sushi or gunkan maki, is a typical and in style kind of sushi. The nori seaweed is wrapped across the rice with the substances featured entrance and centre on high to create scrumptious and appetising one-bite sushi. Uncover the way to make gunkan sushi right here and the numerous topping variations you’ll be able to attempt!

What’s Gunkan Sushi

Gunkan sushi is a kind of sushi that consists of a small, oval-shaped mound of sushi rice wrapped in a strip of nori seaweed and topped with numerous substances. The title ‘gunkan’ means ‘battleship’ or ‘warship’ in Japanese, which refers back to the form of the sushi resembling a battleship with its rice mound and seaweed wrap.

Gunkan sushi is usually used to carry substances which are troublesome to wrap in a conventional sushi roll, resembling fish roe (ikura), sea urchin (uni), or chopped sashimi. The seaweed wrap helps to comprise the substances and forestall them from falling aside. The substances positioned on high additionally creates makes this sushi very visually interesting.

Gunkan sushi is similar with conventional nigiri as each are a kind of hand-formed sushi and have the fish and different substances on high quite than contained in the sushi. Nevertheless gunkan sushi makes use of nori (seaweed) whereas nigiri usually doesn’t. Gunkan sushi additionally makes use of fish and different substances which are chopped or combined with one thing else whereas nigiri options only one strong piece of fish.

Gunkan sushi is a well-liked selection for individuals who love the mix of various textures and flavors in a single chunk. The small dimension of the sushi makes it straightforward to eat in a single chunk and makes it best for serving as an appetizer or a part of a sushi platter.

Historical past of Gunkan Sushi

Gunkan sushi originated in Japan within the early twentieth century and was created by a sushi chef at a sushi restaurant referred to as “Kyubei” in Ginza, Tokyo. It was launched as a strategy to serve and showcase substances that had been troublesome to include into conventional sushi rolls like ikura (salmon roe) and uni (sea urchin).

The idea of wrapping sushi rice in seaweed and topping it with numerous substances was a artistic innovation that rapidly gained recognition. The distinctive form of the sushi, resembling a warship, is what gave it the title ‘gunkanmaki’.

Over time, gunkan sushi has developed to incorporate all kinds of toppings, starting from conventional substances like fish roe and sea urchin to extra trendy variations like spicy tuna, shrimp mayo, and corn.

Elements You Will Want

To make scrumptious gunkan sushi at house, you have to the next substances:

• Sushi rice: Sushi rice is a short-grain rice that has been seasoned with a combination of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Learn to make excellent sushi rice with my recipe right here.
• Nori (seaweed): Nori seaweed sheets are produced from edible seaweed that has been dried and pressed into skinny sheets. For gunkan maki, the nori is lower into strips and the strip of nori is wrapped across the base of the sushi.
• Toppings: Relating to toppings for gunkan sushi, the probabilities are limitless. Well-liked choices embrace uncooked fish resembling salmon or tuna, roe like tobiko (flying fish roe) or ikura (salmon roe) or masago (capelin roe), cooked seafood like shrimp or eel, and even vegetarian choices like natto and corn mayo. See under for extra gunkan sushi toppings.
• Condiments: Soy sauce for dipping the sushi. Japanese Mayonnaise for making toppings.
• Wasabi and Gari (pickled slices of ginger): Non-obligatory, however generally served with sushi for added taste.

Step by Step Cooking Instruction

Observe these step-by-step directions to make gunkan sushi at house:

1. Cooking sushi rice: make the rice following my excellent sushi rice directions. Make small cylinder form sushi rice balls, every about 0.7 oz (20g) of sushi rice, and set them apart.  
2. Put together your prefered toppings: for this recipe, I ready natto and corn mayo. There are extra toppings solutions under.
3. Lower nori seaweed sheets: seaweed sheets have traces about 1.25 inch (3cm) intervals. Lower nori sheets alongside these traces. It is best to have the ability to lower 6 strips of nori sheets.
4. As proven within the picture under, begin wrapping the seaweed at about one-third of the lengthy facet of the rice ball, go across the fourth nook, and make the straight line the place the seaweed and rice meet so long as doable. That’s it. This may make it simpler for the seaweed to stick to the shari balls. Moist or place one cooked rice grain on the beginning and finish of the nori the place they overlap to connect them collectively to seal.
5. Press down the center of the sushi rice to make a shallow properly. Place your required toppings within the properly, filling it to the highest of the nori sheet.
6. Repeat the method with the remaining nori sheets and toppings.
7. Serve the gunkan sushi with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

Ideas for Perfecting your Gunkan Sushi

• Use recent, high-quality substances for the most effective taste and texture.
• In case you use uncooked fish to your toppings like recent salmon or tuna ensure it’s sashimi grade.
• Moist your arms with water earlier than dealing with the sushi rice to stop it from sticking to your fingers.
• Be mild when urgent the rice to make indentation (step (5) in directions). This step makes clear and delightful gunkan sushi.
• Be cautious of the facet of nori sheets that you just wrap across the rice balls. Ensure the shiny facet is on the surface.
• Follow makes excellent! Don’t fear in case your first few makes an attempt don’t end up completely. With time and observe, you’ll change into a gunkan sushi grasp.

Gunkan Sushi Toppings

Conventional gunkan sushi is often topped with fish roe, sea urchin, or chopped sashimi however there are limitless artistic variations you’ll be able to attempt to fit your style. Listed here are just a few concepts to encourage you:

• Spicy tuna: Combine diced tuna (or canned tuna in case you don’t like uncooked fish) with spicy mayo and high it with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
• Tuna Mayo: mix a can of tuna with Japanese mayonnaise.
• Shrimp mayo: combine cooked and chopped up shrimp with Japanese mayonnaise.
• Sea scallops: chop up the scallops into little items to placed on high of the sushi.
• Vegetarian toppings: Natto and corn mayo are two typical forms of vegetarian gunkan sushi.
• Garnishes: slice avocado and cucumber into skinny strips and use them alongside the opposite toppings for added color and taste. Shiso leaves will also be used.

Be happy to get artistic and customise to make scrumptious sushi along with your favourite substances and flavors!

What to Serve Gunkan Sushi With

Gunkan sushi pairs properly with a wide range of facet dishes and drinks. Listed here are some concepts to serve along with your gunkan sushi:

• Miso soup: A traditional Japanese soup made with soybean paste, tofu, and seaweed.
• Edamame: Steamed or boiled soybeans sprinkled with sea salt.
• Gyoza: Japanese dumplings stuffed with floor meat and greens, pan-fried till crispy.
• Seaweed salad: A refreshing salad made with numerous forms of seaweed and a tangy dressing.
• Inexperienced tea and Hojicha: These teas complement the flavors of sushi.