Anonymous asked: Hi Lydia
Dean here (from Hotonline)...
Claire tells me that you are bit of a whizz in the kitchen and I really want to start making my own sushi- i cant get enough of the stuff!! Can I eat any salmon/tuna etc raw or does it have to be a certain type???
Yes, you can definitely buy and eat raw fish for sushi. Salmon and tuna are probably the safest options, especially when starting out with sushi, though white-fleshed fish works quite nicely too (sea bass for instance), as well as mackerel (although this type of fish has to be “cured” in salt first before consuming).
Having said that, I generally am quite careful about where I buy my fish. I am lucky enough to have a fab fishmonger up in Islington - Steve Hatt (he seemed a bit insulted when I once asked him if his fish was fresh enough for sushi!!). Do you have a good fishmonger/supermarket fish counter you can trust near you? If you’re not sure, just ask yourself when you walk by the place: does it smell “fishy” or “fresh like the sea”? If fishy, then forget about it. If the answer is no, then head to the Japan Centre in Piccadilly, which has recently been expanded: a cold/hot take-out counter, a sushi conveyor belt, all the Japanese ingredients and kits you might need to make sushi, and where you can buy pristine pieces of sushi fish. It’s a nice way to start practicing.
Let me know how you get on!
