Sanmazushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

1. Split open the sanma from the back or from the belly. You may leave the head intact, or cut it off. Remove the internal organs, gills, and eyeballs, rinse briefly in water, and pat dry with a cloth.

2. Sprinkle salt (an amount equal to 5 - 7% of the fish’s weight) evenly over the surface of the fish’s body.

3. After the fish have been salted, lift the backbone by hand, and carefully remove the bones along the belly and sides. Use your fingernails to scrub off the scales, from tail to head, wash thoroughly, and pat dry. Check to see that the salt has been cleanly washed off.

4. Begin the marinating process. After pre-marinating the fish for about 20 minutes, marinate further for 30 minutes to a full day. Add an acetic acid vinegar for the final marination process.

5. Pour the awase-zu mixture over freshly cooked rice while it is still hot, and mix together in a cutting motion. Once the vinegar has mixed well with the rice, let it cool.

6. Lightly squeeze the moisture from the fish, and place on to a sushi mat. Apply mustard to taste along the center of the flesh. Take 240 g of sushi rice, and mold it in your hands to create a slightly firm cylindrical shape, about the length of the sanma piece. Place this cylinder of rice on top of the fish, and use the bamboo sushi mat to roll into shape.

7. Cut the finished sushi into 2 cm-long pieces and arrange onto a plate.