Nigiri

Name: Nigiri
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Niskiki rice. for sushi, cooked 1 cup; Sea bass (sea bass) (frozen) 1.4 oz; Salmon fillets (frozen, cleaned and trimmed) 2.3 oz; Tuna filet (flash-frozen, cleaned and trimmed) 1.8 oz; Wasabi to taste; Pickled ginger to taste

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Gluten Free
Lactose Free

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 40 min
Serving: 4
Cost: High
Note + the preparation of rice

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Sai Fukayama

Nigiri is something really special from Japanese cuisine. It’s those tender little mounds of sushi rice—shaped by hand—topped with slices of fish like silky salmon or bright red tuna. Really good stuff. Usually, there’s a dab of wasabi tucked between the rice and fish, giving each bite just a hint of heat. The balance, you know, is key. Too much rice? Or too much fish? Finding that sweet spot is what makes a good nigiri sushi stand out. And the sauce? People dip just the fish side into soy sauce so the rice doesn't fall apart. Which is great for flavor. This attention to detail is a big deal.

Across Japan, especially for those who love tradition—making nigiri is almost a ritual. It's how the rice is seasoned and shaped, and how the fish is sliced just right. Sai Fukayama, a sushi master, shows how to keep things authentic—every step matters. At home, making homemade nigiri can be fun. People hunt for the best fish, practicing until the rice is moist enough to hold together, yet light. Super tasty.

Even the smallest details, like the sticky texture of the rice or the fresh taste of the fish, really really make a difference. Whether you’re learning how to make nigiri for a special occasion or just want to bring a bit of Japanese tradition to your table, this dish is about simple things done well. Honestly, it shows how patience, great ingredients, and a little know-how can create something both delicate and totally satisfying. And here's the thing, there’s a joy in crafting and enjoying a dish that’s been perfected over centuries. Pretty much, you cannot go wrong with it. Nigiri—delicious and timeless. For sure, give it a try.

How to prepare Nigiri

To prepare 12 pieces of sea bass, tuna, and salmon nigiri, you will need about 5 oz of cooked sushi rice, so first, find out how to prepare sushi rice. To obtain the 1.4 oz of sea bass needed for the recipe, you can purchase a fillet or extract the necessary part from the sea bass as follows: after removing the head, gutting, and scaling the fish, turn its belly towards you and cut to reach the tail, following the central bone 1. Then proceed with a cut along the entire back of the fish, above the fin 2. Then bring the tail of the fish to your right and make the same cut above the fin, from the tail towards the head. Cut up to the base of the tail to obtain a fillet 3. Turn the sea bass with the flesh resting on the cutting board and make the same cut to obtain the second fillet.

Take the obtained fillet, trim it, and remove any remaining bones with tweezers 4. Cut away the skin by passing the blade between the meat and skin, holding the fillet by the tail 5. Rub the fillet in a bowl with cold water, ice, and dissolved fine salt 6: this helps to remove as much fat as possible.

Pat the fillet dry with a kitchen towel 7, then cut the fillet diagonally and against the grain to obtain 4 equal slices, each about 0.4 oz 8. Proceed in the same way with the salmon fillet, always with a cut against the grain to obtain 4 slices about 0.5 oz each 9.

You can proceed in the same way with the piece of tuna to obtain 4 slices against the grain of about 0.6 oz each 10. Place the slices of sea bass, tuna, and salmon in different small plates so you can easily take them with your left hand. Now it's necessary to moisten the right hand in a little acidulated water (with rice vinegar) and lightly dab on a clean towel 11. Then with your right hand take about 0.4-0.5 oz of sushi rice 12. Gently press to give an oval shape, squeezing the rice in the palm of your hand.

With your left hand, grab a slice of tuna, season with a very small amount of wasabi in the center 13, then place the rice on top 14. Press lightly, then turn over and press the sides of the fish to shape the nigiri with your thumb and middle finger, so as to well unite the two parts 15. Proceed with the same operations for all the pieces of tuna,

also with the salmon slices to create salmon nigiri 16 and with the sea bass to create sea bass nigiri 17. Compose each portion with 1 nigiri of each type of fish 18, served with pickled ginger and soy sauce.

Storage

We recommend consuming the nigiri as soon as possible.

The rice can be prepared in advance, then heated to bring it to a temperature of around 97-99°F.

Advice

When consuming nigiri with soy sauce, the rice should not be soaked, but the fish fillet part should be slightly dipped. Traditionally, it is eaten with the hands.

We recommend assembling the nigiri rather quickly in order to serve it with the rice still warm.

It is important not to press the rice portion for each nigiri too much, otherwise the rice "ball" will be excessively hard.

To best enjoy it, you can start with the more delicate sea bass nigiri, then move on to the tuna and then the salmon.

Between one nigiri and the other, you can cleanse your palate with a bit of pickled ginger.

For safe consumption of raw, marinated or semi-cooked fish

Before consuming raw, marinated, or not perfectly cooked fish, it is recommended to freeze it for at least 96 hours at -0.4°F in a domestic freezer marked with 3 or more stars, according to Ministry of Health guidelines.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.